Rite of Election draws 323 to cathedral VIEW GALLERY -- use arrow keys to navigate through photos
JACKSON — When Ja’mar McCoy found out he would meet Bishop Joseph Latino at the Rite of Election on Sunday, Feb. 17, the 7-year-old wanted to know, “What is a bishop?”
His father, James, showed him a photo of Pope Benedict XVI seated in his chair, and explained the pope was the leader of Catholics worldwide and Bishop Latino was the leader of Catholics in the Diocese of Jackson.
On Sundy McCoy met Bishop Latino and as a catechumen, entered his name in the Book of the Elect at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
Previously celebrated in Madison and Southaven on different Sundays, this year 323 catechumens and candidates participated in the Rite of Election in the Catheral of St. Peter the Apostle.
To accommodate the large number of people, the rite was celebrated twice on Saturday and again Sunday in the 1897 neo-Gothic cathedral — “mother church of the diocese” and the bishop’s “home” parish.
“Coming home” is how Diane Barton, a candidate from Starkville St. Joseph Parish, described her return to her Catholic roots. “I had attended other churches with my family growing up and when I was married, but I felt like something was missing in my life,” said Barton, who at five was baptized Catholic. “When I went to Mass I felt like that need was being met,” she said.
“It is very important to me to receive the Eucharist and it’s important to me that my daughters, ages five and nine, have a spiritual foundation.”
In Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes, Barton is learning a lot about Catholic traditions, teachings and the continuity of its practices.
“It’s just like coming home,” she said.”
