Rites of Passage

In the past there have been two main rites of passage for youth at All Souls:  Rite 13 and Confirmation.  Rite 13 is a liturgical ceremony incorporated into a Sunday worship service that honors 13 year olds and marks their transition from childhood to young adulthood.  It comes from a youth curriculum called Rite 13, a program that continues in the high school years as The Journey to Adulthood (J2A).  Confirmation is a sacramental rite in the Episcopal Church.  For those baptized at an early age, confirmation is the way to “make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop.” (Book of Common Prayer pg.412)  The age for confirmation has changed over the years and is somewhat varied in each diocese, however it is most commonly made during adolescence. 

For the last few years we have not been using the Rite 13/J2A programs with our youth groups, instead tailoring their programs to match their real life questions, issues and concerns.  And yet through last year we continued to have a Rite 13 ceremony once a year.  Former Youth Group Leader Stephen McHale and I began talking about this ‘rite of passage without roots’ last summer.  By ‘rite of passage without roots’ I mean that it is in no way connected to anything else we do in youth group and is essentially a remnant of a former time—it was a rite of passage looking for meaning in our community as it exists today.  In the fall Stephen opened up the conversation to youth group parents and there were two meetings where we discussed rites of passage in general, and Rite 13 specifically.  Based on these conversations and our experience with the youth groups over the past two years, we made a recommendation to the Children & Youth Committee that we no longer use the Rite 13 ceremony; at their February meeting the Committee accepted this recommendation.  Instead, we will honor our youth as they transition from Jr. High to High School during our ‘Graduation Celebration Sunday’ in June each year, recognizing that they are entering young adulthood and charging them to take on more responsibility in church and the world.  This will also allow us to honor those youth who are members of our community but do not participate in youth groups.

At the same meeting we recommended to the Children & Youth Committee that we regularize when and how Confirmation takes place.  The recommendation they accepted is that every other year Confirmation will be offered to youth that are sophomores or juniors in high school.  The program will begin in the fall with an orientation meeting for those interested and their parents/guardians.  At that time each candidate for Confirmation will be matched up with a spiritual mentor—someone in the parish whose main job it will be to simply pray for the candidate for the next 8-9 months, but who can also be a resource for questions and conversation.  In the spring the group will come together again for 6-8 weeks of intensive Confirmation classes, followed by Confirmation when the Bishop visits All Souls.  Alternatively, if candidates choose, upon completion of the preparation program they may go to Grace Cathedral to be confirmed during one of the General Confirmation Days.

These changes and clarifications to how we do rites of passage at All Souls, and what we mean by what we do, were arrived at after much conversation and prayer.  I believe they fit who we are now and what it is we are doing and will serve our youth well.  I invite you to share comments, concerns or reflections with me.

Yours in God’s peace,

Kristin+

The Rev. Kristin Krantz, Associate Rector

April 2008