Freshman and Sophomore Retreats: Tradition Starts At St. Rita
Our freshmen (Class of 2027) and sophomores (Class of 2026) went on their annual class retreats this past month. This year, our Campus Ministry Team reinvented our Freshman and Sophomore Retreats by having the classes explore the history and tradition of St. Rita of Cascia High School in a unique and fun way.
Our Ritamen began the retreat by watching the movie Rudy in our Auditorium. This movie has a very special connection to the history of St. Rita High School as Rudy’s last high school practice was filmed at Doyle Stadium on our old stomping grounds at 63rd Street and Claremont Avenue.
Following the movie, we had our freshmen and sophomores listen to talks from our alumni who spoke about their experiences at both the old and new campuses. Our freshman class got to hear from English Faculty and Head Baseball Coach, Mr. John Nee ‘93, and our sophomore class got to hear from Officiating Coordinator Coach of the National Football League, Mr. John O’Neill ‘79.
After hearing about our tradition, it was time to see where the St. Rita legacy began by taking them on a field trip. The first stop on the trip was to visit the old St. Rita campus, now Olive Branch Mission, located at 6310 South Claremont Avenue. There, our Director of Community Relations and our Shrine Chapel Director, Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. ‘83 showed our Ritamen what used to be our campus, recalling old buildings and pathways. They were also greeted by two of the workers at Olive Branch Mission, which is a non-for-profit organization providing food, shelter, housing, and human services to the homeless. Just like St. Rita of Cascia High School, Olive Branch Mission continues to serve God.
Afterwards, the field trip concluded a couple of blocks down at St. Rita of Cascia Parish located at 6243 South Fairfield Avenue.
This was where many of our alumni who attended the old St. Rita campus went for Mass during school days and where their graduation ceremonies took place. There, our freshmen and sophomores experienced Mass at the parish led by Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A. and President of St. Rita of Cascia High School, Deacon John Donahue, J.D. Ed.D. At the conclusion of Mass, students got to walk around the church and embrace the moment.
