Bishop Fernando Isern
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Born Sept. 22, 1958, in Havana, Father Isern moved to Venezuela with his family at the age of 5. When he was 9, they moved to Miami where he attended public elementary school and a private high school, Champagnat. (He still celebrates the school's graduation Mass each year.)
He studied marketing and international business at Miami Dade College and Florida International University, and worked for a bank until “a gradual search for answers” led him to the priesthood. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami on April 16, 1993, and has been at Our Lady of Lourdes since June 2002, taking over as pastor in March 2003.
What he did before becoming a priest:
He worked for First National Bank in the marketing department, promoting one of the first ATMs. “They were called Quick 'n' Easy back then.”
When he knew he wanted to be a priest:
“I was looking for answers and I knew the Lord had them. I wasn't too happy where I was in my life and I definitely couldn't see myself promoting ATMs for the rest of my life.” Toward the end of his studies at FIU, “I would go to the Blessed Sacrament late at night. However, there really weren't any churches nearby that were open late, so I would stand outside the windows of the old church of St. Brendan, now the parish hall, and all I could see was the red glow from the sacramental candle. I would be there for a long while, looking for the answers I knew he had for me.”
After a while, he realized that St. John Vianney Seminary was right next door and did have late-night adoration. “So I drove up and walked in like I owned the place, and I wasn't leaving until I got some answers. I did that for a while before the rector was notified that I was doing this, and I wasn't even a seminarian.”
Over time, he discovered his call to be “with (Christ) and in him.”
" The reality is that you gain even more than you could ever sacrifice. The Lord gives so much. "
What he would be doing if he had not become a priest:
“Probably still marketing and promoting those ATMs.”
What he does on his days off:
“I own a little 25-foot sailboat, so I enjoy sailing. I get out there on the ocean. I really cherish it.”
Favorite TV series:
“I don't usually get to watch the programs when they're on, but I record them and watch them later. I enjoy political commentary shows.”
Greatest accomplishment:
“Realizing that it's not about my greatest accomplishment, but in helping others accomplish; accomplishing things together and growing in Christ.”
A five-year-old Father Fernando Isern is pictured here swimming in 1963. He still loves the water and enjoys sailing on his days off.
His ideal priest:
Pope John Paul II.
Most difficult aspect of being a priest:
“The multiple demands of being a pastor can be trying.”
His harshest critic:
“My friends keep me honest. That is a blessing. They keep my feet on the ground whenever they come off.”
Priestly stereotype that should be discarded:
“That one gives up so much when you become a priest. The reality is that you gain even more than you could ever sacrifice. You don't have to stop doing what you love. And if you're away from your family, you gain an immense family in the Church. The Lord gives so much.”
Thing he most fears:
“My computer crashing - it keeps blue-screening.”
