Trinity High School had its graduation ceremony at the Horn Community Center in Whitesville Friday night. The entire community showed up in droves to send the 14 seniors into the world.
Pastor at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church addressed the seniors at Bacullearate, advising them to take “very seriously the challenge your Catholic education poses.” He added that the world is desperate for God’s love, peace, and, ultimately, the church’s responsibility to spread it.
“Possess faith to move mountains and see the world through the eyes of Jesus and our call to follow Him and not ourselves or anyone else,” Roby said. “Be the person who follows Jesus. Be the person of integrity that God has called you to be, the person who knows that you are created in the image and likeness of God and see that same dignity in others.”
Most speakers at commencement will encourage graduates to follow their dreams; Father Roby’s address was slightly different.
“Don’t follow your dreams. Don’t go out and make the world the place you want it to be,” he said. “Rather, follow Jesus. Make the world the place he has designed it to be. Follow his dreams, desires, and passions for you.”
Senior Allie Barnett called Trinity her “home away from home.” She said Trinity offers an experience that can’t be replicated, and she wouldn’t change her experience for the world.
“Trinity is a place I come to and feel safe – it’s my family,” she said. “I know this phrase is said a lot, but it cannot be overused because there is no better word to describe this school than family.”
A common theme among all the graduates was that their small class size certainly created an unbreakable bond.
“We have been together through the ups and downs,” Barnett said. “We have shared countless laughs and maybe shed a few tears along the way. We have watched each other grow and have never failed to cheer one another on.”
Nathan Hernandez and Landon Huff shared similar experiences.
“What Trinity High School means to me is everything,” Hernandez said. “I have the opportunity to make life-long friends and be in a great environment.
Huff said it means everything to be a Raider and that the community surrounding the school is incomparable.
“I will never forget the people that surround that school and the people in it,” he said. “The community takes such good care of the students and supports them no matter what.”
Principal Emily Hernandez addressed the graduates and encouraged them to remember an evening of grand celebration. She said they aren’t just closing one chapter of their life but beginning a new one.
“When you leave here tonight, some will go to college school, some trade school, some will enter the workforce, and others may accept the call to the priesthood or religious life. Others might join the military, and we thank you for your willingness to sacrifice for us to live in this free county, this great county.”
Hernandez also credited the amazing staff and faculty at Trinity, St. Mary of the Woods, and Mary Carrico for their role in shaping young minds. She added that the world needs young people to be the change that fights against anything that does not stand for truth.
“Our essential purpose in life is to get to heaven and to help as many people as we can along the way,” she said. “So keep your priorities straight, pray daily, respect all people, and love all people.”
Roby and Hernandez’s address highlighted that Trinity’s theme this year was “God first.”
“If you remember nothing else, remember that God must be at the center of your life and every decision you make,” Hernandez said. “Trinity class of 2023, I pray for you and wish you well on this journey in life.”
