Each junior class joins the ranks of so many other classes before then when they receive their John Carroll rings.

The design of the ring itself is unique to John Carroll as it has a black circle on the top with the hat of a bishop engraved into it. When people see the ring outside of the building, they often ask, “Are you from John Carroll?”
To celebrate the juniors getting their rings, the school traditionally holds an annual ceremony and a dance.
Receiving the John Carroll ring has been a long-standing tradition for the school, and behind graduation, it is one of the most important events for Patriots. Why is it so important?
It’s a rite of passage. It’s a tradition. It’s a sign of school pride.
Last year, the juniors had one of the most unprecedented ring ceremonies in school history. Only hours before the ceremony, Governor Larry Hogan announced restrictions to fight against the pandemic.
This, unfortunately, meant that parents could not attend the Ring Mass and watch us get our rings in-person. It also meant that we lost the ring dance.
I was a part of this class and was truly devastated by all this.
However, the restrictions did not stop us from getting our rings. We had our Mass, just without parents in attendance. They were able to watch it through a Facebook Live stream.
That entire ceremony — despite it being very different from what it was supposed to be — showed the importance of our school rings and being John Carroll Patriots.
As a class, we joined together to show that we as Patriots are proud to attend John Carroll. It showed our strength and our willingness to get through anything.
I have seen many JC teachers, wearing their rings from when they were Patriots. I, too, plan to wear my ring for many years to come.