Rev. Dr. Edgardo Jara, O.F.M., D.Min, better known as Fr. Lalo, was born in San Carlos, Costa Rica. He grew up in a faith-oriented family where his parents guided him to love God, others, and creation. Even in his youth, he took his faith seriously, as evidenced by his involvement in the youth choir and liturgy. His commitment was further manifested by participating in the Faith Formation Program as a catechist. He studied business administration before joining the Order of Friars Minor in 1997 in Mexico. For family reasons, he left the Franciscan Order and returned to his home country, where he joined the diocesan seminary. Following his Franciscan vocation in 2012, he returned to the Franciscan way of life. Upon completing his novitiate in Burlington, WI, he was sent to the Franciscan School of Theology in California, where he earned a Master of Divinity before being ordained a priest in February 2017. He has been an advisor to the Spanish Small Christian Communities (SCC) in the United States and a member of CEB Continental in the last 10 years. His interest in SCC is reflected in his doctoral dissertation at Fordham University, New York, where he completed a Doctor of Ministry degree. In the last 10 years, he has worked on the East Coast. First at St. Camillus Parish, Silver Spring, MD, then at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Triangle, VA, and lastly in the Archdiocese of Washington DC, again, but in the Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach, then as Director of the Office of Evangelization and Pastoral Planning. Motivated by his concern for the evangelization and formation of the Hispanic brothers and sisters, Fr. Lalo hosted a Podcast with Juan Diego Network, Cafeteando con P. Lalo (Drinking Coffee with Fr. Lalo), and as one of the National Eucharistic Preachers appointed by the USCCB during the National Eucharistic Revival Process, he has hosted a Podcast, “Fe + Coffee,” to reflect deeper in the Eucharist. He has been a keynote speaker at different diocese congresses across the country, such as the Diocese of Richmond, Diocese of Monterey, Diocese of Reno, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and preacher in several parish retreats and workshops as well. In addition to his love for teaching, Fr. Lalo likes hiking, watching movies, getting to know different cultures and traditions, traveling, singing, taking a nap in a hammock, and drinking a lot of coffee.