Rev. Fernando E. Heria
Deceased: 2026-02-10
Diocese: MIAMI
CSM Graduation Year: 2000
Father Fernando Hería, a Cuban-born priest known for his boundless generosity, Marian devotion and tireless advocacy for Cuba and its people, died Feb. 10, 2026. He was 75.
Father Hería was the former rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity.
Born Oct. 13, 1950, in Consolación del Sur, Pinar del Río, Cuba, to Angel Manuel and Adelaida Hería, the family moved to Miami when he was 11, but he never lost touch with his Cuban roots.
“He would always say he was a Guajiro (a country boy), and that’s why he would sign his letters or messages as ‘El Cura Guajiro,’” said Javier Fernandez, who worked alongside Father Hería for more than a decade at St. Brendan Parish, in Miami, and later at La Ermita.
After graduating from Hialeah High School, serving in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate’s Office, and earning degrees in history and political science from Florida International University, Father Hería attended law school in Michigan and practiced law in both Michigan and Miami for more than a decade.
A 1989 pilgrimage to Medjugorje changed his life. He experienced what he described as a profound call to the priesthood, one he had first felt at 16. At age 40, he closed his law practice and entered the seminary.
“For the longest of time, I resisted God’s calling. One day I said, ‘Why am I fighting?’ I thought money would make me happy. I thought power would make me happy. When I chose not to be rich to become a priest, I became the happiest…Finally, I was doing God’s will and not mine,” Father Hería told the Florida Catholic in 2003.
On May 11, 1996, at 45 years old, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami and assigned as parochial vicar to St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Miami (1996-1998). At the request of Archbishop John C. Favalora, he pursued higher studies in canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome (1998-2000) and went on to serve as a judge in the Archdiocese of Miami Metropolitan Tribunal.
“He was meticulous in what he wrote and did,” said Father Juan Sosa, a retired priest, former seminary professor and longtime friend. “He had that mix of practicality and creativity—like a good lawyer—but always aware of the needs of others. He was a very cheerful person, very positive about life, very willing to serve, and, above all, to care for those most in need.”
Father Hería served as parochial vicar at St. Hugh Parish in Coconut Grove (2000-2001) and Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables (2001-2002), and as administrator at St. Justin Martyr Parish in Key Largo (2002-2003).
In 2003, he was named pastor of St. Brendan Parish in Miami. Cristina María Capote, principal of St. Brendan School, recalled his strong presence on campus.
“He was compassionate and led with wisdom, and he had a deep love for this community,” she said.
At school Masses, Father Hería created traditions that many still remember.
“He would ask students, ‘Who is it that loves you most in the whole world?’ And they would all yell back, ‘Jesus,’” Capote said.
Father Hería also served as supervising principal at St. Brendan High School (2003-2009).
Known for his humor, Father Hería called himself “el cura de Westchester” and even the priest of the “Cathedral of Westchester.”
“He always had a smile; he was always happy, always telling stories with a touch of humor for everything,” Fernandez said.
His generosity was equally memorable. “He gave himself completely, even without knowing you. He didn’t go by first impressions. He would help you to the utmost in everything he could and was always available to his friends,” Fernandez said.
Father Hería kept Cuba close to his heart and engaged in humanitarian and ecclesial efforts supporting the Church there. He participated in discussion panels and was consulted by U.S. government officials during the administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama on matters related to Cuba and religious and humanitarian concerns, said Fernandez.
In 2016, Father Hería was named rector of La Ermita de la Caridad, the Miami spiritual home of thousands of exiled Cubans and their beloved patroness, Our Lady of Charity.
“He was very moved when he was named rector and saw it as a great mission and at the same time an undeserved privilege. He would say that he was the priest of ‘La Ermita del Amor’,” Fernandez said.
Father Hería celebrated many milestones in the lives of those close to him. He married Fernandez and his wife in 2018 and later joked that their 5-year-old son was possible thanks to his blessing.
Father Hería’s devotion to the Virgin Mary—whom he credited with marking his life from birth, having been born Oct. 13, the anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima—became even more visible during his time at the Shrine.
“At La Ermita, he was very special in his devotion to the Virgin,” Father Sosa said. “His joyful spirit will continue with us.”
Father Hería retired Jan. 31, 2022, due to health reasons. He moved to Tavernier, and sought treatment for a kidney-related illness, all the while caring for his mother.
He is survived by his mother, his sister Ana, and extended family, friends, and many spiritual sons and daughters who remember his warmth, humor and steadfast faith.
The funeral Mass for Father Hería was celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Feb. 19, 2026, at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Miami. Burial followed at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery in Doral.
