clergy & pastoral Team

 Rita and I are blessed for having been assigned to St. Ann's parish. We thank Fr. Alfonso for the opportunity to join him and others in administering to the richly diverse members of this beautiful parish. The pride of being a member of this parish can be seen in every smile we see on every parishioner we encounter. St. Ann's is also a parish with its own orange grove! That is certainly a parish attribute that cannot be beat!

The Tenth Anniversary of my Ordination is fast approaching (May 28, 2021). Even though it will be ten years since my Ordination, the fabric of my Diaconal Ministry remains sealed with the following core beliefs that have remained intact and I have taken with me to St. Ann's. 

I do believe, as Permanent Deacons, my Brothers and I have been called to a life of humility in spirit. If we have been truly Ordained to be Christ's servant, how can we conduct our lives any differently than how Jesus conducted his life on earth? Secondly, if offered an opportunity to help someone else, I will act upon it as best I can because, in doing so, I am doing something for the Greater Glory of God, which may very well be as simple as allowing God to work through me to help others. In doing so, brings sunshine to my life as a Catholic and as a Deacon.

After deciding to make a permanent move to Florida for our "retirement years," Rita and I chose to limit our search to the center of the state. Even though we are quiet "Disney Crazies," the only connection to Disney was how we decided to check out Haines City. In response to a question from the Room Service Attendant at a Disney Hotel that we never stayed at before, we explained we were only in town for one night to see a condo two hours north of Disney. Her immediate response was, "Why not move to Haines City? It is a lovely place." Once we realized this was exactly where we wanted to live, we tagged the server, "A messenger from God!"

What I describe as "A Rather Simple Life with Many Stops," began soon after we left Brooklyn, New York, the place of my birth, and I started my Active Duty service with the Air Force as an Officer and Health Care Administrator. Over the years, Rita and I have moved in and out of Brooklyn; three times to be exact. In addition to Brooklyn, we have lived on Homestead AFB, Florida, in Parlin, New Jersey, Sturbridge and Worcester in Massachusetts, and finally Haines City, Florida, many places, for sure, and each time an adventure!   

Born of Native American roots, Deacon Richard has been married to Jeannine Rivard for over 44 years, both of them originally from Rhode Island. Together they have three children (two boys and a girl) and four grandchildren (two girls and two boys). He and Jeannine relocated from Virginia to Florida in February of 2010. 

Deacon Richard spent seven years in the US Air Force serving in Arkansas, Nebraska, Southeast Asia, and the White House. Following his time serving his country, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Data Communications from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, and a Master’s degree in Religious Studies with a concentration in Spirituality from Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. 

Deacon Richard pursued a career as a Systems Engineer in both private industry and as a government contractor. He is published on LinkedIn with white papers describing Systems Engineering. After serving for over 50 years in a variety of engineering and management roles, he retired in January 2020.

Deacon Richard was ordained on May 13, 1989, by Bishop Richard Keating in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. He received his faculties in the Orlando Diocese from Bishop John Noonan on May 13, 2015. 

“May 2021 will mark 32 years in Holy Orders for me, yet it seems like ordination was only yesterday. I want to serve my Lord and His church in whatever way I can. I also praise Him for giving me two families: my wife, children, and grandchildren; and my family in the Catholic Church.”

Rosario is in formation discerning the permanent diaconate. 

He was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, where he grew up and lived with his family. He studied Computer Science at the Metropolitan University of his hometown.
He received his baptism on December 15 at the age of one, but it was as a young adult that he completed his Rite of Christian Initiation at San Antonio de Padua Parish in Guayama, PR, where he joined his wife Lydia Danela de Jesus years later in holy matrimony. Together they began their discipleship at the service of the youth as leaders of the Youth Ministry, and they stayed in that ministry for years.
He has always had a passion for service, to serve God and His people, and although he had the concern in his heart to do something else, he did not contemplate the idea of the diaconate at that moment since he felt that he was too young.
Looking for better opportunities and quality of life, when his country was going through difficult times, he moved to Florida in October 2013. In December of that same year, he started working at Westgate Resorts, the company for which he still works.
With his arrival in Florida, Jairo makes St. Ann Catholic Church his new community of faith, his new home. Feeling again in his heart the call to serve, he puts everything in prayer and God’s hands, and through mysterious ways, God answers him with the call to the permanent diaconate. Call that he welcomed with courage and joy into his heart, call that his wife Lydia also welcomed and continue to support Jairo since this is a lifelong commitment.
He began his formation and studies for the diaconate in August 2016. If it is God's will, he will start his sixth and final year of formation in August 2021, and he is scheduled to be ordained on June 11, 2022, in our Diocese.
"My dear brothers and sisters, I humbly ask for your prayers so that I can continue the vocation I feel in my heart and for the will of God to be done in my life always."