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WALLACE — Deacon Mike Vandiver of the Transfiguration of Jesus Catholic Church spends much of his time in prison — so much so, in fact, that the Pope himself has taken notice.
Over the last decade, Vandiver has traveled across the Diocese of Raleigh area (comprised of 54 counties and spanning 33,088 square miles) to expand the pastoral ministry to the incarcerated in 15 prisons and has facilitated Catholic services at even more institutions. On Feb. 12, Reverend Luis Rafael Zarama, Bishop of Raleigh, presented Vandiver and eight others with the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Vatican: The Benemerenti Medal, for exceptional service to the Catholic Church.
Zarama called to notify Vandiver of the honor while the industrious deacon was en route to a North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NCDAC) facility. “I was completely caught off guard,” said Vandiver. “When I got off the phone, I called my wife and asked her to go on the internet and research Papal Honors. I never expected something like this.”
Prior to retiring from the Gillette Company in Massachusetts (now Proctor & Gamble), Vandiver was part of a group that visited the women’s prison once a month to sing in the choir for mass. The experience was significant for Vandiver, who saw the profound impact the group had on the inmate’s lives. After relocating to River Landing in 2008 with his wife, Tish, Vandiver was encouraged by his best friend to look into the Diaconate Formation Program with the Diocese of Raleigh.
“It’s a long story, but I ended up in the program, and six years later was ordained a Deacon by Bishop Michael Burbidge,” Vandiver explained.
Upon arriving at Transfiguration of Jesus Catholic Church in Wallace, Vandiver discovered Deacon Bob Price was leading a team at Pender Correctional.
“Deacon Bob got me involved when I got into formation,” Vandiver said. “I found out there were no Catholic services at Duplin Correctional and Sampson Correctional. I got services started in both.” As a result of his familiarity with the system, in 2016, Burbidge asked Vandiver to coordinate prison ministries for the Diocese.
In addition to serving North Carolina’s incarcerated, Vandiver is also heavily involved with the Bill Lord Memorial Golf Tournament held at River Landing. In 2024, the Bill Lord tournament donated $12,000 in grants for the exceptional student program in Duplin County.
“Since the start of the tournament, through 2024, we have given over $100,000 in grants. In 2025 we will hand out an additional $12,000 in grants.” said Vandiver. “The checks will be distributed next week.”
While the Benemerenti is indeed an incredible honor for Vandiver, the work, he says, is honor enough.
“The reward is seeing the joy the men and women experience when they receive the Eucharist and can talk about their faith,” said Vandiver. “Jesus says in Matthew chapter 25, when we visit those in prison, we are visiting Him. I can see Him in every face at the services.”
