RITE-13 NEWS

Rite-13 ended with a bang this year, when on May 3, five of the students and all three adults attended a Festal Eucharist at St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, in New York City. The service included music by the world-famous Choir of Men and Boys, and it was followed by a tour of the church. The group ended a great day with a fun lunch at Buca di Beppo, Times Square, and a brief walk through Midtown. Three youth volunteered to share their reflections on the day: 

“I very much enjoyed our trip to the City and to the Church of St. Thomas. They gave us a tour of the building after the service, which I found very interesting. The tour told us about things like the restoration of the windows, the origins of the church, and the meanings of the multiple designs on the doors and the floor. After that, we left the church and went to an Italian food restaurant called Buca di Beppo. We had to wait awhile to get food there (since most other countries like to take their time with their meals), but in the end I thought that it was well worth the wait. After that, all of us just walked around for a little while, then eventually split up to go back home or to keep wandering around the city. All in all, I think we all had a great time during our trip to the city and would like to do something similar at some point in the future.” – Kristopher Lipkansky 

“The church was beautiful. I liked the sermon and the boys choir. It was a really fun trip and a very nice church.” – Lauren Washko

“My experience at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church was one I will never forget. Sitting in the pew and looking up at all the different designs was breathtaking. Everywhere I looked, there was something new and interesting to read or just look at. After the service, we went on a tour of the church. The altar had so many aspects to it that made it feel welcoming. It was so nice and wide and there were many different areas for special things. Overall, this trip was one of my favorite church-related activities.” – Grace Hoenscheid