The typical Salesianum Ring Mass happens on a Sunday in the mid afternoon. Normally, the guys come in full winter uniform, gather in Centenary Hall, and then process into the gym packed to the gills with family and friends for the Mass and ring ceremony. Afterwards, the front lawn is littered with people taking pictures and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Obviously, this year has been far from typical, and a Ring Mass like this would be shut down in seconds during this era of COVID precautions. However, that didn’t stop Salesianum from holding a retreat day that, although unorthodox, was very memorable for all involved.

This year, Ring Mass became Ring Day, as members of the class of 2021 came in early on a Wednesday morning for a class retreat. They started off in homeroom with a prayer service, a beautiful reflection by Jack Krukiel, and a time to reflect and answer hard questions about who they had become over their four years. They then went into Chapter with the rest of their virtual members and reflected on the Salesian virtues. That was followed by a reflection given by Mr. Kennealey, as well as small group discussions on their time at Sallies. They ate lunch and dessert provided by four food trucks, and then proceeded out to mass.

The actual mass took place outside near the Peace Garden and in front of the statue of Saint Francis de Sales. Sitting socially distant, each senior was invited up to receive his ring as his name was called over the livestream of the Mass. Then, at the end of mass, Mr. Kennealey made an announcement that this class would be the first to enter into Abessinio Stadium, and everyone, led by Rasheen Caulk ‘21, took a walk around the new track.

“Like everything else, we were trying to reimagine what this looks like safely,” said Mr. Jackman, “but we wanted to make this a special moment the seniors would always remember. We were able to achieve that through having the time on campus, the Mass on the green, and having them be the first class to visit the stadium.”

Overall, the day itself was a huge success! As Sean Spych ‘21 puts it, “Ring day was amazing. From eating lunch at the food trucks, to seeing all of my friends in-person, I had fun all day. The Mass itself and the reflections we did in chapter and in small groups made me look back at my time at Salesianum and see how far I’ve come over the years. It really was special.”

Despite the limitations of a Coronavirus world, the members of the class of 2021 was able to celebrate their time together, reflect on their lives, and have fun safely for the first time this year. The day was a great success, and it will live on through memories forever.