Quinceañera Guidelines
Celebrating Your Quinceañera at St. Raphael Parish
We are excited that you are considering celebrating your Quinceañera here at St. Raphael's. We rejoice in joining with your family in celebrating your faith and your life with you. We have some requirements for all those requesting a Quinceañera here. These are:
- She must be a baptized member of our parish.
- The young woman must be a member of our high school youth ministry program throughout her time in high school, and must be active in our Confirmation preparation program. The expectation is that anyone celebrating a Quinceañera in Church intends to become a fully initiated member of this Church.
- She must be actively involved in both the faith formation and service aspects of our youth ministry/Confirmation preparation program.
- The and her parents must meet with the priest/deacon celebrating the Quinceañera at least twice before the celebration.
- Arrangements for the Quinceañera must be made six months in advance .
- Fees for the use of the Church and any music desired are the same as those for a wedding in our Church.
- Spiritual preparation must include a retreat which is made through the Diocesan office of Hispanic Ministry. This is a full-day retreat, and the diocese charges $75. It is important that this retreat be completed before the celebration of the Quinceañera.
- The young woman must participate in some kind of service project, either one of her own making, or one sponsored by the parish or another agency. The choice of project must be approved by the priest/deacon celebrating the Quinceañera in advance. After completing the project, she must present to the priest or deacon the following:
- A two-page paper describing her participation in the service project (what she did, how she felt about it, what she learned).
- A log of the hours in which she performed this service (date(s), time begun, time completed)
- A letter from the supervisor stating the project was done, or a certificate stating the same.
- The young woman must celebrate the Sacrament of Penance sometime in the month prior to the celebration of the Quinceañera.
- Any damas and chambelanes participating in the Quinceañera, as well as any other family members participating, are strongly encouraged to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance as well.
Documentation Required
All documentation must be turned in to the priest celebrating the Quinceañera no later than one month prior to the date of the celebration. The following are required:• A copy of the child's baptismal certificate.
• A letter from the girl, in her own handwriting, requesting the Quinceañera and stating why she desires to celebrate it at this time.
• A letter from her Confirmation Small Group leader stating that she has been attending and participating in Confirmation Preparation here at St. Raphael
• A certificate of participation in the required retreat.
• The paper, log, and letter documenting the service hours (see number 8, above).
Meetings Required
- Initial meeting with parents, child, and the priest, to discuss the child's faith formation and to get to know the family.
- Meeting with the Director of Liturgy, Director of Music, and priest to plan the celebration.
In addition, all fees must be paid to the Liturgy Office one month in advance of the celebration.
We look forward to celebrating your faith on your special day!
Our Liturgy staff can be contacted through the Parish Office 355-4545
Pat Chuchla, Director of Liturgy, x 125 pchuchla@st-raphael.com
Jennifer Susina, Liturgy & Music Assistant, x 141 jsusina@st-raphael.com
