Photo by Jackie Holcombe

ATLANTA— The Archdiocese of Atlanta is set to welcome nearly 3,000 men and women into the church following the Rite of Election. Traditionally held on the first weekend of Lent, the Rite of Election is among the final stages of full entry into the Catholic Church.  

On March 8, St. Catherine of Siena Church, Kennesaw; Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church, Norcross; St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro; and the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, opened their doors to those who would declare their willingness to join the faith. 

Parishioners in the archdiocese and Atlanta’s bishops witnessed as 2,110 candidates and 860 catechumens showed their intentions to embrace the church’s teachings.  

Candidates, those baptized, and catechumens, those unbaptized, attend a series of classes learning about the faith, as part of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). 

Previously known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved changing its name in 2021 to reflect a proper translation from Latin. “Order” also better encompasses the specific steps, or rites, within the initiation process.  

During the Rite of Election, catechumens write their name in the Book of the Elect. For many, the experience signifies the accomplishment of much time spent in study, prayer and reflection. 

Candidates enter the church through full communion, and catechumens prepare to receive the sacraments of initiation—baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist. Both groups fulfill their initiation requirements on Holy Saturday during the Easter Vigil.  

Father Urey Mark, right, of the Lyke House Catholic Center presents the book of the elect, bearing the names of the center’s catechumens, to Bishop John N. Tran, during the Rite of Election. Photo by Jackie Holcombe

A journey to the faith  

Dana Gardner, 30, became one of the Elect at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Her journey to Catholicism captures the experience of those who spend years downplaying spirituality, only to find the light during their darkest days.  

Gardner grew up in a “regular American Jewish family,” she said— synagogue every Saturday, Hebrew school during the week and reading stories from the Torah. 

Judaism, an identity so natural to her parents, never stuck with Gardner. Growing up she felt excluded and said “there was always something missing.”   

Gardner identified as agnostic until her late 20s. During a time she describes as “not being the best version of myself,” she started to reflect on her spirituality.  

During this identity struggle, her boyfriend, Doug Bleichner, “really started experiencing the power of the Eucharist,” Gardner said. Gardner did not understand his spiritual revelation, and the two broke up.  

Gardner’s grief led to her Catholic conversion. Desperate for answers, she decided to listen to an audiobook of the New Testament.  

“God’s words were slowly absorbing into me,” Gardner said. “I got on my knees and prayed for Jesus to help me and let me know if he was there. That’s when I heard him.”  

Transformed, Gardner attended Mass the next day, and “finally, after so much despair, I felt so much peace. God gave me all the pieces of my life and it all clicked. I was finally filled with so much joy and happiness.” 

Gardner and Bleichner reconnected, and their relationship changed to reflect their spiritual values. In 2024, he proposed to her at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers.  

Her Jewish upbringing fits perfectly in her story, Gardner shared. She feels “more connected to that identity than ever,” and appreciates its purpose in guiding her to Catholicism.  

At the Rite of Election, Gardner said the shared experience with other catechumens was transformative. 

“I was sitting in the front row, and I looked back and saw everyone standing up,” she said. “It was so special. We were affirming our faith and showing that we wanted to continue this journey.”  

As she moves forward as a renewed person, she is excited to follow God’s plan and see where “he takes me for the rest of my life.”  

A peace like never before 

For Heidi Stephens, 37, the path to the faith came from a place of curiosity. Raised in a religious home, Stephens attended several Christian churches and was a Faith Academy student. 

As a graduate of Liberty University, Stephens identified as “very deeply Protestant.” Over the years, though, Stephens longed for something more.  

“I was at a standstill for a couple of years, and even attending our church made me feel depressed,” she shared. “I never doubted my faith in God, but something was off.”  

After researching Catholicism, her conversion started when a coworker asked her to join a daily Mass with him. Upon entering the chapel, Stephens encountered “a peace I had never felt before,” and thought to herself, “no church I had ever sat in felt like this before. I just knew that this is where I belong.” 

As a parishioner of St. Gabriel Church, Stephens shared that she still gets this feeling when walking into the doors of the Fayetteville parish. 

Stephens attended the Rite of Election at St. Philip Benizi Church, and the experience marked a defining moment in her life.  

Bishop John N. Tran, center, welcomes those representing Fayetteville’s St. Gabriel Church at the Rite of Election at St. Philip Benizi Church. Pictured are back row, from left, Adam Hinson, Noah Henderson, Jesus Amezquita and Terri Gaspierik, and front from left, OCIA Director Mary Lou Mazure, Dillon Wells and Heidi Stephens. Photo by Jackie Holcombe

“It was just so surreal,” she shared. “I thought to myself, OK, this real. This is happening and it’s a big deal.” 

Overcoming a lifetime of beliefs shaped by her upbringing was not easy, Stephens said, but the reward of finding a sense of belonging made it worth the wait.  

A marriage rooted in faith  

Justin Jackson, 34, and his wife Joy, 31, hold faith at the center of their relationship. The couple met as kids at the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral and sang in their church choir. The two married in 2016 at Mount Paran Church in Atlanta. 

Before converting, the pair belonged to the Pentecostal faith tradition.  

Justin and Joy Jackson, pictured with their children, attend their first Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King as a family in 2024. The pair participated in the cathedral’s Rite of Election March 8. Photo courtesy of Justin Jackson

In 2020, Justin Jackson’s father was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Jackson clung onto his beliefs until 2023 when treatment stopped working for his father.  

Upset at his father’s state and questioning his spiritual identity, he sensed “something was missing within my relationship with Christ.” 

Jackson credits his conversion to his children’s godparents, saying that one day he found a Book of Prayers at their house. After reading it and confiding in his friends, they told Justin that he was looking for the fullness of truth.  

Days were spent researching the church, listening to podcasts and watching online videos until Justin realized Catholicism was the missing piece of the puzzle.  

Joy Jackson, however, did not feel like she was being called to convert. It was clear that her husband was set on becoming Catholic, so the pair debated endlessly. Joy started praying the rosary and tried to understand the “bits and pieces of Catholicism.” 

Joy then attended Mass during Advent at the Cathedral of Christ the King, in which she felt her heart change entirely. The two joined OCIA classes together at the Cathedral of Christ the King, and “the rest is history,” Joy said.  

The couple attended the cathedral’s Rite of Election and declared their intentions to join the church. For Justin, signing his name in the Book of the Elect was the start of ongoing journey.  

“I thought I was living as a Christian before, but as we stood up and made our declaration, I realized this is just the beginning, and there’s no telling how amazing this will be,” he said