Jose V. Suarez

Reverend Monsignor Jose V. Suarez The Reverend Monsignor Jose V. Suarez, a retired priest of the Diocese of San Jose, died in the peace of the Lord on Wednesday, September 11, 2008, in Cupertino, California at the age of 77. Jose Valdez Suarez was born on May 7, 1931 in San Jose, Nueva Ecija, in the Philippines to the late Cecilio S. Suarez, Sr. and Severina A. Valdez. He is survived by several brothers and sisters in the Philippines and here in the United States. His nephew, Father Randy S. Valenton, is also a priest serving in San Jose. Following philosophy and theology studies at the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary in Vigan, he was ordained to the priesthood on March 26, 1955 for the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. When the Diocese of Tarlac was created in February 1963, Father Suarez decided to remain incardinated with the newly created diocese until 1983. Because of his notable work and ministry as priest, he was made honorary prelate on June 22, 1977 by the late Pope Paul VI. He came to the United States in 1983 and worked for five years in the Archdiocese of Seattle serving as parochial vicar and chaplain of several parish organizations. He also served as spiritual advisor of the archdiocesan Filipino Ministry in Seattle. He arrived in San Jose in 1988 to work as chaplain at San Jose Medical Center. Later he was assigned to St. Christopher Parish and then to St. Julie Parish in San Jose where he was parochial vicar and chaplain at Kaiser Hospital Santa Teresa for eleven years. He was incardinated to the Diocese of San Jose on March 24, 1994 and officially retired on July 1, 2001. At the time of his death, Monsignor Suarez was in residence at the Clergy Retirement House in St. Joseph of Cupertino Parish in Cupertino. In memory of Monsignor Suarez, , in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph Retirement Center in Cupertino, or the Clergy Retirement Fund, in care of the Diocese of San Jose. The Services for Monsignor Suarez are as follows: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 – Visitation from 12:30 to 7 p.m., Funeral Vigil and Rosary at 7 p.m. Lima Family Santa Clara, 466 N. Winchester Blvd. in Santa Clara; Wednesday, September 17, 11 a.m. – Funeral Mass, St. Maria Goretti Church, 2980 Senter Road, San Jose 95111. Disposition of the body will be by cremation. The remains will be brought to the Philippines by Father Randy S. Valenton, nephew of Monsignor Suarez, to be inurned at the crypt of St. Joseph Cathedral, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.