Fr. David Vivero of All Souls Catholic Church in Sanford announced in the June 28 church bulletin that Bishop John Noonan has accepted into a Formal Discernment Year Mr. Rafael Vazquez, who is contemplating becoming Permanent Deacon for the Diocese of Orlando.

"This one-year discernment means [Vazquez's] family and the community, under the leadership and guidance of the pastor here at All Souls (Vivero), will be part of his readiness to be nominated to the Bishop for acceptance as an aspirant in the permanent diaconate formation program," Vivero wrote. "I am very excited to be part of this process and I look forward to Mr. Rafael Vazquez’s pastoral and spiritual journey."

Vazquez is the principal of Core Civic Correctional Facility, looking over 500 juvenile prisoners, and has also served in several other leadership roles, according to the newsletter. 

"He also is a member of the Holy League and Adult Altar Server," Vivero wrote. "He enjoys reading about saints and spending time with family and friends. Dr. Vazquez said that the reason he wants to be a Deacon is because he wants to serve others and always point to the ways of having a real relationship with the Lord, through the sacraments of Communion and Confession."