Eva Suarez: What Have You Learned?

After five years filling various roles at Trinity, the Rev. Deacon Eva Suarez has completed her master’s degree in divinity and social work. This fall, she will begin a two-year Rockwell Fellowship at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Manhattan where she will participate in parish life and learn about parish administration.

What are you excited about?

At this moment I’m surrounded by moving boxes because I’m getting ready to move into clergy housing. I’m leaving my home, I’m leaving the two schools where I’ve been enrolled for the last four years and all my fellow students, and I’m leaving Trinity, which has been my spiritual home in addition to the place where I’ve worked. It’s been the most constant thing in my life through my early twenties. So I’m really excited for all the stuff that’s going to be new. But it’s definitely hard to say goodbye to all the people and places that have gotten me to this place.

Are there any lessons that you’ve learned while at Trinity?  

Never assume anything about anybody or about a place or an organization. I think a lot people think they know what Trinity Wall Street is like and all they know is that we’ve been blessed with this endowment. They don’t know anything about the wacky and wonderful collection of people that worship here and volunteer a ton and really make the place what it is. I didn’t know a lot about Trinity when I arrived and was consistently surprised all through my five years. Also, stay humble. I was always learning stuff from all different people all the time.

Can you tell me about your ampersand tattoo?

I liked it as a symbol because it’s all about putting things together. Sometimes it makes sense that they go together and sometimes you make something really new. And I also like that people are constantly volunteering what they think it means.

Your father’s family is from Puerto Rico and your mother’s family is Jewish and from Russia. Does your experience as part of an interfaith and multi-ethnic family affect your experience?

I don’t believe that Christianity is the one right fit for everybody. I learned this also from learning the history of Christianity and also through watching Christians of so many backgrounds bringing so many different things to it at Trinity. It confirmed what I always suspected—that what we believe comes just as much from our culture and where we’re located and how we experience life and who we know. That’s how we get to understand God and God makes sense to us. Based on my life and where I’ve been Jesus makes a lot of sense to me. 

I think one of the great and excellent things about the church and what makes it unique, or at least the Episcopal Church, is that it knows enough of who it is to let other people in. The center holds so that you can welcome people on the margins. We’re built on scripture and the Book of Common Prayer and this incredible history so we don’t have to worry when we let other people in and they bring stuff from their understandings of culture and God. There’s room.