Andy Gonzalez: From Cuba to the altar

Five men will be ordained to the transtional diaconate May 22 at St. Louis Cathedral by Archbishop Gregory Aymond. Today, we profile Andy Gonzalez.

Andy Gonzalez

Age: 39

Home parish: Born in Cuba

Diaconate internship: St. Ann Church and Shrine, Metairie

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

The bronze statue on the front steps of Notre Dame Seminary depicts a boatload of migrants from various epochs of human history fleeing persecution for freedom and security in a new land.

Andy Gonzalez, a third-year seminarian who will be ordained as a transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of New Orleans on May 22, has spent quiet time recently gazing at the statue and considering the parallels to his own faith journey.

Gonzalez was born in Cuba, which has lived for decades under communist rule. He first stepped inside a Catholic church when he was 12, which is when he said his life changed forever.

“That day, the church became my second home, even though I had to participate in secret because of the communist government and also because many people did not want me to get close to God,” Gonzalez said. “The statue (at the seminary) does remind me of my own journey. It’s not only my journey, but also the journey of so many other people who did the same thing with me, and the ones in Cuba who have dreams to do it.”

Gonzalez said his grandmother, a native of Spain, taught him about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Mother. His parents and his sister still live in Cuba and have encouraged him on his long road to a religious vocation. 

Unfortunately, they will not be able to attend the ordination Mass and may not be able to view the livestream because of spotty internet in his hometown Cienfuegos, four hours from Havana. They will try to watch through a FaceTime call from St. Louis Cathedral.

“They are the greatest support for me, and they are very excited,” Gonzalez said. “They are very sad, too, because they can’t be with me. They are trying to go to the church more often, which is a beautiful gift from God.”

After a year of obligatory military service at age 19, Gonzalez said he began “seeing the need” for God. He graduated from college, taught humanities and art in middle school and then felt a religious call. He served for seven years as a Marist brother in Cuba and Central America and then immigrated to the U.S. in 2012, when he began to think seriously about the priesthood.

He began his seminary studies in Florida and then was told by a priest there he might want to consider studying for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He entered Notre Dame Seminary in August 2018 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2019.

“I am very proud of my culture, but I am also very proud now to be a part of this great country,” Gonzalez said.

He is looking forward to delivering homilies as a deacon.

“I dedicate time to prepare them very well, even though there is always something that is a surprise,” he said. “The goal is to bring the Word of God to everybody.”

[email protected]