What type of Catholic service may accompany a quinceañera in many Latino communities?

A quinceañera may be accompanied by a Catholic Thanksgiving Mass, commonly called a misa de acción de gracias.

The service gives the family an opportunity to express gratitude for the celebrant’s life and to ask for blessing and guidance. It is often held in a parish church before the reception, although the exact order and format can differ. The quinceañera itself is not a sacrament of the Catholic Church.

Church requirements vary. Some parishes ask the family to attend preparation sessions, participate in religious education, or meet other local conditions. A family’s quinceañera may therefore include a Mass, another religious service, or no formal worship service at all.

This service is different from a wedding Mass, baptism, or confirmation. The celebration is a cultural and family tradition that may be practiced by Catholics and by people who adapt it in secular or other religious settings.