Quince Años Celebration Guidelines

Mission San Luis Rey Parish

The celebration of the Quince Años is a rite and tradition set very deeply within the Latino communities.

The purpose of the church celebration is to evangelize the candidate along with his/her family and those

accompanying him/her. The rite expresses thanksgiving to God for the gift of life and asks for a blessing

from God for the years ahead.

The purpose of the celebration is to recognize the sacredness of life and the importance of the role that

the candidate plays within the Christian community. This is why the Rite of Quince Años is a process of 

preparation and transformation within the faith community. This program of faith formation is

indispensable for helping the candidate develop a clearer understanding of the rite they wish to receive.

The preparation for the celebration of the Quince Años concludes with an invitation to the candidate to

make an act of thanksgiving and of a personal commitment to the Lord our God.

PRE-REQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION:

1. 

The candidate must be baptized.

2.  The candidate should have also received the sacrament of First Communion and Reconciliation or

be preparing for these sacraments.

3.  The candidate and family must be registered, contributing and active members of this parish for

at least one year prior to the first call to the parish.

4.  The candidate is required to attend three classes.

5. 

The candidate is invited to participate in the confirmation program, youth group, altar servers,

choir or help as a catechist aid.

6. 

The pastor may choose to work with families on an individual basis as needed.

CELEBRATION SCHEDULE:

1.  Individual, group celebrations or a blessing during Mass can be scheduled according to

established parish guidelines.

A)  Four (4) months advance notice is required to schedule the Group Celebration. This

celebration will comprise a total of six candidates with a minimum of four and can take

place in the Serra Center at 12:00 noon on either of the following Saturdays:

a. 

Dates to be determined.

B) 

Six (6) months advance notice is required to schedule the Individual Celebration.

Individual celebration will be scheduled in the Parish Chapel depending on availability.

C)  One (1) week advance notice is required to schedule a blessing during one of the regular

Masses.

2.  Candidates, parents, sponsors and her/his court, are asked to please arrive 30 minutes before

the start of the celebration.

3.  If a candidate arrives late during the Group Quince Años celebration, he/she will not be allowed

to enter until after the homily and will enter through the side doors.

 

RESPECTING OUR WORSHIP SPACE:

1.  Candidate, parents and guests: please dress conservatively. Please NO strapless shirts, miniskirts,

backless dresses/shirts, tight clothes or cleavage. It’s  the priest’s discretion to cancel the

celebration if these norms are not followed.

2.  No gum chewing. Turn off cell phones, pagers, etc.

3.  Children should not be allowed to roam the grounds; they must always be accompanied by an

adult, even to go to the restroom.

4. 

No alcohol or drugs. In the case that any individuals are under the influence of any of these, the

ceremony will be cancelled immediately.

5.  No confetti, balloons, rice, bubbles, rose petals or tape is allowed inside or outside of the church.

6.  Mariachis are not permitted within the ceremony but are invited to be outside of the worship

space to play music before/after the ceremony.

PICTURE AND VIDEO TAKING FOR GROUP CEREMONIES:

1. 

No professional photographers or videographers. The Parish will provide both.

2.  Non-flash photographs and video in the Serra Center can be taken from where the guests are

seating.

3. 

Picture-taking in the Serra Center will be limited to 1 hour before the ceremony. To preserve the

solemnity of the procession leaving the Serra Center after your Quince Años ceremony, we ask

that you not re-enter the Serra Center for photographs/video. Moreover, the Serra Center may

need to be cleared for another celebration.

PICTURE AND VIDEO TAKING FOR INDIVIDUAL CEREMONIES:

1.  The candidate can hire a professional photographer and/or videographer. The photographer

must NOT use flash to take pictures. We ask that both the photographer and/or videographer

respect the solemnity of the ceremony by not being intrusive.

2. 

Guests can take non-flash photographs and video in the Chapel from where they are seating.

3. 

Picture-taking in the Chapel will be limited to 1 hour before the ceremony. To preserve the

solemnity of the procession leaving the Chapel after your Quince Años ceremony, we ask that

you not re-enter the Chapel for photographs. Moreover, the Chapel may need to be cleared for

another celebration

SUGGESTED DONATION:

Some expenses are incurred for both the Group and Individual Celebrations. A $100 deposit is required

to reserve the date. The suggested donation for group and individual celebrations at Mission San Luis

Rey Parish are:

Group: $300 per candidate (Includes: classes, church donation, priest’s stipend,

music, photo package and DVD of the Mass.)  

Individual: $700 per candidate (Includes: classes, church donation, pri est’s stipend,

music.)

Blessing during

a regular Mass: $20 per candidate (Includes blessing) 

4/09/13