Dear family:

It is a privilege and a pleasure for me to be part of this wonderful community of the Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables. My journey as a priest has not been long; I was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Miami on May 12, 2018, just a little over two years. I am the oldest of four children. My father, Antonio, passed away 40 year ago; my mother, Judith, is still with us with excellent health by the grace of God. I was born in Medellin, Colombia, 57 years ago. My elementary and high school education happened among the Jesuits, so in a way, I am a Jesuit at heart. I entered seminary formation in August of 2011 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami in May of 2014. I continued my priestly formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, were I graduated with Bachelor’s in Theology and a Master’s in Divinity in May of 2018.

As Fr. Manny Alvarez said in his column two weekends ago, my first assignment as a priest was to Our Lady of Lourdes Church. This vibrant and large community opened their doors and arms to me and nurtured me in preparation for my second assignment, the Church of the Little Flower. As a priest, I completely enjoy  studying Scriptures, especially the Gospel, where we all can see the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Redeemer, the one to follow, and emulate in our daily lives.

As a lay person and Christian, I always thought that the one thing I lacked in knowledge was precisely the Scriptures. Now as a priest, having studied them and being able to understand them, I have made my personal mission to let everyone know about them. During my two short years at Our Lady of Lourdes, I started and implemented a Bible Study Class and was able to unfold the message of the Gospel of Luke to those interested. By the grace of God, many attended the Class. It is my intention to continue the classes here at the Church of the Little Flower, by unfolding the message of the Gospel of Matthew.

Initially, I held classes every Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in English and from 8:30 to 9:30 in Spanish. After the pandemic, I continued the classes online during the same times, also on Tuesdays. My plan is to hold classes here online, starting in mid-August, focusing on the Gospel of Matthew.

I can only assure you, my dear family, that I am at your service. Please feel free to contact me at any time. My heart will be open for you hoping that yours will be open for me. May the Lord bless you always.

See you around!

Fr. Omar