Manuel was appointed to the Pastoral Council in September 2017. He enjoys having an opportunity to help with long-term planning. He says, “My favorite scripture passage in this regard is Luke 19:2-6 when Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus…As a member of our Pastoral Council, I have the opportunity to plan where our Lord wants us to plant our sycamore trees for the future Zacchaeus of the world that want to see Jesus.”

Manuel was served as Co-Chair of the Pastoral Council in 2019 and 2020 and is most looking forward to developing the parish’s five-year strategic plan for 2021-2025. He would tell anyone who is considering joining the Pastoral Council to trust the Lord and begin their discernment process by talking to a current member of the Council, a parish staff member, or a priest.

Manuel has a Doctoral Degree in Entomology and currently works as a quantitative analyst in the area of invasive species in agriculture and forest systems. Throughout his career, he’s written several research articles that used his expertise in biological sciences and geographic information systems. In addition to his service on the Pastoral Council, Manuel was part of the Alpha pilot team in 2017.

Manuel and his wife Guadalupe joined the St. Raphael parish after moving to Raleigh from Michigan in 2016. He was born in Mexico and has lived in the United States for 27 years. He’s been married to Guadalupe for 32 years and they have three children: Sara, Lizzy, and Miguel who is a seminarian in the Diocese of Lansing, MI. Manuel is looking forward to Miguel’s ordination as a Deacon in 2020 (God willing). In his spare time, Manuel likes to play ping-pong and read Catholic formation literature and fiction novels.

One thing people might be surprised to know about Manuel is that he likes to use the extra hour he gains when the clocks go back to meditate with the Lord and recharge his spirituality. He shares that this is his favorite time of the year.