MAGIS: Fr. Pedro Suarez, S.J. '58
Pedro Antonio Suárez González was born on October 30, 1941, in Havana, Cuba. He graduated from El Colegio de Belén in 1958 and studied architecture at the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva (1958- 1961). His devotion to living the magis started when he entered the Society of Jesus at the Instituto Pignatelli in Los Teques, Venezuela, on April 9, 1961. He went on to study philosophy at Fordham University’s Loyola Seminary (1964- 1966), and taught during his regency at the Colegio Loyola in the Dominican Republic (1966- 1967). Always striving to learn, he received a master’s in mathematics from the University of Miami (1969) and a master’s in divinity from Loyola University-Chicago (1973).
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Fr. Suárez, S.J. was ordained at Gesu Church in Miami on June 24, 1972. His dedication to education continued when he received a doctorate in mathematics from Northwestern University (1977) and worked in the Dominican Republic from 1977 until his return to Miami in 1987. Having spent over a decade pursuing his studies, Fr. Suárez shifted to the role of professor at Barry University (1987-2008) and chair of its Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. Additionally, he has been a member of the Jesuit-founded Clavius Group of Mathematicians since 1971.
“The fraternity/camaraderie that I’ve experienced at Belen among co-workers and friends, and as I grew older, my relationship with former students, their families, and other alumni have grown in a significant way,” said Fr. Suárez. “I have always felt that Belen gives you a sense of belonging. For students and young alumni, I hope they know that Belen will always be their home. No matter where you are or how long you have been away, Belen will welcome you.”
Fr. Suárez served as superior to the Miami Jesuits from 1991 to 1997 and from 2010 to 2016. He served as president of Belen Jesuit from 2009 to 2016 and then served as president and chairman of Regis House in Miami and as a spiritual counselor at Belen until 2022. During his tenure as school president, Belen Jesuit celebrated its 50th anniversary in Miami and the dawn of a new technological era with the introduction of a one-to-one program using the Apple iPad device and utilizing all-digital textbooks. Campus improvements, such as the remodeling of the central patio to the Garrido Family Plaza, the football field being converted to artificial turf and renamed Sánchez Field, the development of the Hernández Field and the complete renovation of the dining hall now known as the Sarria Family Dining Hall were completed. Living the magis in all aspects of his leadership, Fr. Suárez eagerly kept one foot in the classroom and taught mathematics whenever possible.
“Belen Jesuit has grown tremendously over the decades since reopening in Miami in 1961,” said Fr. Suárez. “It has been enriched by the people in the Belen community and that has been a consistent quality that can be traced to the school in Cuba. The people who study and work here, the families that participate in events, and the alumni who stay involved have helped it grow in grace and goodness, not just in size.
“The Belen community is grateful for the many years of service, leadership and devotion Fr. Suárez has had in his vocation,” said Fr. Wilie, S.J. ‘87. “As he enters retirement, we will pray for his health and be inspired by the lives of the young men he taught so they become great leaders for the benefit of our world and the greater glory of God.”
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.