ESCONDIDO -- More than 1,000 people are expected to attend a Mass in Escondido on Tuesday night when a priest known to attract thousands holds a healing service at Resurrection Catholic Church.

The Rev. Fernando Suarez is scheduled to appear at the church at 6 p.m.

Suarez celebrated a Mass and held a healing service at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mira Mesa on Monday night.

All tickets to that event were gone by Monday afternoon, and people calling for information were advised instead to attend the service in Escondido.

Suarez was last in San Diego County in May, when he held a service at Good Shepherd Church.

According to a press account, about 1,300 people filled the church and just as many waited in line outside.

Attendees began arriving at 11:30 a.m. for the 6 p.m. service, which ran late into the night.

According to Suarez's Web site, FatherFernando.com, the priest was born in the Philippines in 1967 and learned he had a healing power at age 16.

Suarez did not pursue the priesthood until he was 35, however, and instead earned a chemical engineering degree in the Philippines.

In 1995, he said, he followed his calling and traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to study for the priesthood.

He was ordained in 2002 and is a priest with Companions of the Cross Community, in Ottawa, Canada, but travels much of the year to do healing services around the world.

On Suarez's Web site, the Rev. Jeff Shannon of the Mary Mother of the Poor foundation wrote about seeing blindness, deafness, cancer and other conditions and illnesses cured as the priest laid his hands on the faithful.

But Shannon also emphasized that it is Jesus who is doing the healing through Suarez's hands, which is why the priest requests that people to ask only for healing prayers after he has celebrated the Mass with them.

Church of the Resurrection is at 1445 Conway Drive in Escondido. Free tickets for seats will be distributed at the church beginning at noon. Those without tickets will be accommodated in another area that can hold 2,000 people.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.