On Tuesday, Oct. 9, Bishop Jaime Soto will preside at the annual Red Mass in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. The Red Mass is the traditional gathering of members of the legal profession and elected and appointed officials to invoke the aid of the spirit of God in their deliberations in the year to come.

Following the Red Mass, Bishop Soto will present the St. Thomas More Award to Angela M. Lai at a dinner event at the Sutter Club. Named in recognition of the patron saint of lawyers, the St. Thomas More Award is given to a member of the legal profession in the diocese who has shown integrity in the practice of law, leadership in the community, and faithfulness to gospel values in his or her personal and professional life.

When 27 new permanent deacons made their vows in the sacrament of holy orders on June 30 to be witnesses to the Gospel through a life of service, it culminated four years of discernment, formation and training as part of their journey to ordination.

Becoming a deacon involves a vocation from God. A man becomes deacon not just out of personal desire or interest, but for the common good of the church as determined by the bishop.

For these reasons the selection, discernment and formation of deacon candidates are rigorous efforts. The entire formation process, in fact, is a journey of discernment, says Uli Schmitt, director of the diocesan Office of Clergy Formation since 2013.