At the age of 16 you can drive, at 18 you can vote, but in the life of a Hispanic teenage girl, the age of 15 also has a great significance marking the passage from childhood to adolescence with a Quinceañera.
“In this celebration of the 15th birthday within the Hispanic communities, the sacredness of life is recognized, and the importance of the role of youth within the Christian community is emphasized,” noted the director of Hispanic ministry for the diocese Hortensia Rodriguez.
The day traditionally begins with Mass followed by a celebration with family and friends. The diocesan Hispanic ministry office is sponsoring a special workshop, “Mis Quince Años” (My Fifteenth Birthday) to provide education and faith formation for families who will observe this special day.
Not only is a Quinceañera an important day in the life of the community, “the young woman will renew her commitment and responsibility as a missionary disciple in the community of faith. In doing so, the values, beliefs, and customs of the faith community become the values, beliefs, and customs of the young woman.”
According to Rodriguez, forty-six percent of parishes in the diocese identify Hispanic young people in their faith formation programming. She added, “this formation day will assist the parishes in the diocese to accompany these young women toward a fruitful and holy experience in their lives. It will be a great opportunity to understand the beauty of celebrating the Quinceañera as a sacramental of the church.”
The workshop, geared to parents and their teenage daughters, begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe. More details including how to register are available here.