The Younger Men’s Rites is a life-changing experience for men 18 – 28.
During the 5 days in nature, we explore the transition from adolescence to manhood.
It is a physical, emotional and spiritual challenge. It will be hard. It will test you.
But you will also experience a sense of purpose and see how you fit into a larger story. You will receive tools for your journey as you walk a shared path – one that many have walked before. This is an utterly grounding experience that will hold you, help you grow and open up new beginnings.
The Rites is not a teaching retreat – it is a felt and lived experience. It’s more about feeling it in your gut than understanding it with your head. This is the doorway to the rest of your life. Set in wildland in the Australian bush close to Somerset Dam Queensland, the Younger Men’s Rites involves living outdoors and participating in a range of practical group activities, solo-time, discussions, journaling and wilderness time.
The Younger Men’s Rites is led by a team of experienced elders who have themselves been through Rites of Passage. Supporters and Fathers of the men attending are invited to assist the Rites in various ways.
In the words of the program’s founder – Richard Rohr:
“Men are asked to come with a willingness to participate from beginning to end and not as an observer. All participants begin at point zero with no agendas to live up to or down to. All that is required is for a man to come with a “beginner’s mind’ and the readiness of a novice seeking wisdom. Ultimately, initiation, like life itself, is not a spectator sport.”