Paul Suarez
My name is Paul Suarez and my wife, Anne, and I have lived in Ankeny for 2 and a half years. We’ve been married for 38 years, have three adult children (one of whom lives with us), are “cradle Catholics” and were smitten by the welcoming and open nature we found our first time attending mass at OLIH.
While new to the area, being new isn’t foreign to us as we’ve moved a total of 14 times, mostly the result of being an Air Force family and getting stationed around the country and world. We discovered early in our married life that the best way to get acclimated to a new place is to get involved in the church and as such, I had the opportunity to serve the various parishes we’ve been a part of in a host of lay ministries such as lector, choir, EME, parish council, religious education and baptism team. Currently, I’m a 4th Degree Knight and volunteer to help as often as my schedule allows. In addition, I’m on the team of the Christian Experience Weekend (CEW) having attended in 2023.
Through the years I’ve been struck with how connected we become to a place when we invest our time in it and make the effort to get to know those worshipping around us. So, I encourage each and every parishioner to find a volunteer opportunity at OLIH and, most importantly, introduce yourself to the Catholics sitting to your left and right at mass!
Contact: Paul Suarez