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I The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Savannah Vol. 101 No. 04 Thursday, February 25, 2021 Put Faith in Your Opinions southerncross-sav.org 1 ] Bishop Stephen D. Parkes displays the names of those Catechumens who entered their names into the Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election at Saint Joseph Church, Macon, February 20. Photograph by Donnell Suggs. Rite of Election: a celebration of choice and mystery By Donnell Suggs MACON, GA.- Jason Ruiz, a parishioner at St. Anne Church, Columbus put his hands on the shoulders of his son Lewis, 14, and daughter Luann, 16, and bowed his head. The active duty United States Army soldier was inside St. Joseph Church, Macon as his children’s godparent, along with their mom and the couple’s three younger children, who were also there in support. The Ruiz family came to support Luann and Lewis as they continued their journeys by celebrating the Rite of Election. Jason, their sponsor, was standing as wit ness to his children. As Bishop Stephen D. Parkes asked the catechumens if they “wish to fully enter into the life of the church?’ Everyone standing answered “We do,” including Jason, a longtime Catholic who was clearly caught up in the moment. “I think it’s what brings our family together and goes along with our tradition,” he said following Mass. “This is a big part of their lives and I hope it guides them on their journey.” Father Emanuel Vasconcelos, OEM Conv. was also in atten dance to support the Ruiz fam ily. Vasconcoles is the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) coordinator at St. Anne Church and helped instruct Lewis and Luann during the process. In his third year as an RCIA coordinator, Vasconcelos knows times are different but the mission and purpose of the Rite of Election remains the same. “I think it’s important for us in the faith, those of us that have been See Rite page 4