Crowd packs chapel for ring blessing

By David Peters LOGOS STAFF WRITER

More than 400 University of the Incarnate Word students with their families and friends filled the Chapel of the Incarnate Word Sunday, April 30, for the blessing of graduation rings.

The seventh annual Ring Ceremony was for juniors and seniors who purchased rings through Herff Jones or those providing their own rings or keepsakes. Traditionally, the ceremony takes place the weekend before graduation.

Sister Mary Henry, a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, founders of the university, led the ceremony. The blessing of the rings happened after the prayer service, followed by the presentation of the rings. There was a celebratory toast at the clock tower at Marjorie Jordan Carillon Plaza. The event ended with a reception on Dubuis Lawn.

The purpose of the ring ceremony is “to celebrate the milestone of being one step closer to graduation and the academic accomplishments of students who have reached junior and/or senior class status,” said UIW graduate Will Bailey, senior director of alumni relations at UIW.

“The ring is much more than that. It is a symbol of your journey at UIW, the memories, experiences, and friends you have made along the way and a reminder of going out into the world.”