Senior Ben Finicle receives his Class of 2018 ring from Jesuit president Fr. Christopher Fronk, S.J.

Although there are many rites of passage for seniors as they adopt leadership roles on campus, perhaps the most meaningful is receiving the senior class ring. Not only will Blue Jays cherish their class ring throughout senior year, but they will continue to see it as a sign of their connection to Jesuit long after they graduate. Blue Jay alumni look forward to the opportunity to put on their rings for Jesuit events long into the future.

The Class of 2018 celebrated its Ring Mass on Saturday, Sept. 9, in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs. Jesuit president Fr. Christopher Fronk, S.J., served as the principal celebrant and homilist. He was assisted by co-celebrants Fr. Don Saunders, S.J., Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., and Fr. Paul Shaughnessy, S.J.

During his homily, Fr. Fronk reiterated his message from the first Morning Assembly of the year – “I want to challenge you as seniors to come together and show the underclassmen what it means to lead, especially what it means to be men of faith and men for others.” Fr. Fronk went on to explain how the tradition of receiving a class ring started at West Point to represent the cadets’ shared experience as a class. Similarly, seniors receiving their rings at Jesuit High School should understand that they are all in it together, bringing their diverse gifts and strengths to the experience of the school year.

Following the homily, the rings were distributed to the class. While most of the rings given to seniors were purchased new, several rings were received by seniors from their alumni fathers. In other cases, students for whom the cost of the class ring is prohibitive received rings donated to the school by anonymous alumni. Alumni interested in donating their ring for future Blue Jays should contact Br. Billy Dardis, S.J.

Following Mass, seniors processed out and assembled on South Solomon Street directly in front of the steps to pose as a class, rings reaching to the sky. Seniors then broke into smaller groups for more photos before disbursing to prepare for the Ring Dance, which took place at the Lakefront Airport.