When José Juan Lizarde arrived at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) in 1983, he found strength and guidance in Father Felipe Cleary, who became a true father to him. Even when José helped establish NPH El Salvador, their bond remained strong. Here, José remembers the man he calls his “second angel,” whose kindness and wisdom marked his life.
I arrived at NPH on August 13, 1983, at the age of 12, filled with uncertainty and deep pain from being away from my family. However, being at NPH was the best thing for me at that moment in my life. It was difficult to adapt; it took me many months to feel part of the house, but from the very first moment, God showed me—without me realizing it at the time—that He would send angels into my life, with Father Wasson being the first.
A year after I arrived, a priest came who was passionate about being part of our lives and serving God in our house. I saw Father Felipe for the first time in the courtyard of the estate; I approached him and offered to give him a tour of the house. He accepted, and from that moment on, he became my second angel at NPH.
From the beginning, Father Felipe amazed me with his personality—his unconditional dedication to all of us. Any little one who approached him for advice was welcomed without hesitation. Joking with him was easy; he always had a sarcastic response. I grew accustomed to his humor, and he made me laugh with his way of expressing things. I spent 11 years by his side supporting him as a Family Year volunteer in his house; after completing my service, I stayed with him during my high school and university years. I believe I became a challenge for him to help me move forward since by then he already had another child with whom he would start working on the behavior of a ‘Little Brother’ to help me transform into a good person.
The values that always impacted me about him were that he was a just man regardless of who it concerned; if someone deserved something, it should be given to them, and if they deserved something due to bad behavior, they should also reflect on it. He knew how to make decisions regarding each situation, whether it was a problem or advice requested by someone. He approached things calmly, paying close attention to what was being discussed, and his responses were always just and sincere. I learned from him discipline in everything he did, the value of punctuality, respecting daily routines, and loving animals (we always had a dog at home to care for). He loved hamburgers and enjoyed them while watching a good movie after a long day of work.
With me, every time I asked for advice, he would tell me to first ask God for help and to put in my part while always trusting that God would be by my side.
On another note, I spent a lot of time with him during the spiritual events at the house, which he conducted with great dedication; he served with much love and surprised everyone during every celebration. Every weekend we listened to his masses, and he passionately kept us attentive to receive God’s message; his homilies always included anecdotes that we all eagerly anticipated: “What will he talk about now?”
I am eternally grateful to God for placing him in my path; my time at NPH was easier by his side, and much of who I am today is thanks to him. I thank him for all his advice that helped me form my own family, which he was always proud of.
Today, I send a message up to heaven:
Father, this Christmas we had an appointment in Mexico and we would meet again to share a moment where we would catch up on what has happened in our lives. I’m sorry Father; I did not make it in time to arrive.
But I know that we will have that conversation one day in heaven where I hope to see you again.
I love you with all my heart. See you soon…