Ring Day Ceremony Reminds Class of 2022: They’re All in This Together
Posted on 12/11/2020
The Ring Day Liturgy and Ceremony for the Class of 2022 took place on Thursday, December 10, 2020, though in a different way than usual due to Covid-19. And even though the ceremony only included students, it was still a memorable and important milestone for the Class of 2022.

Class officers Alexis Citro and Emily Drill began the liturgy by reminding those gathered of all the memories the Class of 2022 has already made. They said that the friends they have made and will continue to make at STA will truly last a lifetime.  And despite the temporary separation that these difficult pandemic times has presented each of them, the Ring Day liturgy and ceremony reminded each one that they are all in this together.

So, with the pandemic in mind, this year’s theme was fittingly, “Under the Mask”. They felt that these words symbolize not only the strange times that we are living in today, but also how much more there is beneath the surface of their class. The class officers wrote in their introduction: “in today’s society, people often only see what's on the outside, not taking time to look beneath our metaphorical masks and reveal the beauty in each and every person.  Everyone has beautiful talents from God that lie underneath our masks and on Ring Day the juniors had an opportunity to come together to celebrate these gifts.

“In today’s world we are faced with another challenge: a physical mask. Of course, it is worn to protect us from the dangers of the coronavirus. However, it represents so much more than that.  During the unforeseen three-month shutdown of our state, we were not able to live our lives as we normally would and not be able to see each other in our daily lives at school and at social events. With the support of one another as a class, we were able to get through this difficult time, emerging with a stronger bond than before. Today’s liturgy and ceremony emphasizes the bond between each of us and how special our gifts truly are, along with honoring the things we have accomplished because of them.”

The Ring Day Mass was and celebrated by Father Keith Cervine, school chaplain and liturgical music was provided by Mr. Joseph Cullinan ’02 along with members of the Liturgical Choir. The liturgy was prepared by Sister Cynthia Marie, the class officers, Mr. Phil Mascaro, class moderator, and members of the Campus Ministry Department Mr. John Roche and Mr. Kevin McCarthy.

Following the liturgy, the class officers read the history of the St. Thomas Aquinas Class Ring, followed by blessing the rings by Fr. Keith.  Each junior was called by name to come forward to receive his or her ring.  The ceremony concluded with the class of 2022 reciting together the class pledge.

Although different because of the current health restrictions, the Ring Day Liturgy and Ceremony still proved to be a true celebration for the Class of 2022!

Junior Ring Mass 2020