Men's Rites of Passage (MROP)

MEN’S RITES OF PASSAGE
Hummingbird Music Camp
Sept 27th – Oct 1st, 2023

Quick Info:

  1. Total cost is $500 (meals, lodging, resources and materials). Register and pay in full by May 30 and receive an Early Bird Discount of $50. The deadline for the balance due for those who register before May 31 is August 30.

  2. Registration begins Wednesday, September 27 @ 1:00 PM and concludes @ 3:00 PM

  3. The MROP/Umbrales begins - Wednesday, September 27, 2023 @ 4:00 PM

  4. Registration deadline is September 20, 2023. If you register after this date we cannot guarantee acceptance.

  5. Humming Bird Music Camp address: 104 Hummingbird Dr, Jemez Springs, NM 87025

  6. For those requiring financial assistance to participate, we offer a limited number of scholarships.
    Please fill out the scholarship form here.

  7. Payment Questions: Email Dan O'Connor at 123oconnor@gmail.com or text Dan at 305-335-1787

  8. Registration Questions: Email our Coordinator Geno Gallegos desertskyg3@gmail.com

The Cosmic Importance of Male Initiation

...with so many clear examples of how men have hurt women, other men, the earth and ourselves, Fr. Richard Rohr offers clarity, suggestions and insight in regards to how the Men's Rights of Passage can be part of the deep personal and community healing so much needed...



What are the Men’s Rites of Passage

(MROP)?

Men's Rites of Passage 2020

Men's Rites of Passage 2020

The MROP is not just another Catholic/Christian men’s retreat, but a five days of formal and sacred male initiation. These, sacred rites of passage are sacred teachings on the “mysteries” and the accompanying rituals of Passover have been met with a very strong response in recent years. Over 5,000 men have now been initiated through these rites of male initiation over the past 20 years.

Unfortunately, the proven way to lead males on this journey has been lost to the West for a thousand years. Franciscan priest Fr. Richard Rohr has reclaimed the ancient patterns of rites of passage and designed a modern day retreat for welcoming men into the male spiritual community. Fr. Richard’s work in this area addresses the reality that if men are not led through an inner journey of powerlessness, they will inevitably misunderstand and abuse power. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, (the creator of the MROP) and MALEs have trained teams of men in many parts of the world to do the same.

The Rites of Passage are best for those who have already done some men’s work and who are on a serious spiritual journey. It is best to make this experience as a lone seeker. Fathers and sons are normally not initiated together, nor is it a buddy experience. You may come with friends, but expect to be assigned to a home group where you will be anonymous and start from zero together.


WHAT THE MROP IS...

  • A personal discovery about masculine spirituality and ‘the Holy Mystery.’

  • A time to savor the healing and awesome power of nature.

  • A process to address issues of loss, grief, and relationships with our father, other men, and others.

  • An opportunity to examine life’s priorities and ask courageous questions about your ‘next step.’

  • An invitation to listen to the ‘quiet voice of God.’

  • A chance to return to life with a renewed commitment to your gifts.

WHAT THE MROP IS NOT...

  • A traditional lecture-based “retreat”.

  • An informational workshop about men’s spirituality.

  • A sensitivity training or deprivation experience.

  • A threatening process that requires participants to engage in anything strange or unsafe.

  • A test of physical stamina.


Why This Work is So Important

Men almost never talk to other men about feelings because doing so means unlearning a lifetime of defensive and aggressive posturing—the silent sizing up of the other, the camouflaging of spirit and soul bequeathed to us by generations of men who went to work and went to war and didn’t want to talk about it, thank you very much. For me and for so many others, to be a man among men meant to talk around things and keep my guard up; to carry the unique weight of manhood in mighty silence. Men are God’s loneliest creatures. Sure we have friends: our racquet ball partner, our poker buddies, our bar, our board room. But they’re not like the deep, whole friendships that women seem to cultivate with ease. Our friendships with other men tend to be limited; intense in one area—sports, business, politics—and silent about most others. It’s no wonder I never thought of other men as people. How can we ever know each other, how can we ever be understood, in silence?
— Rabbi Stephen Leder

What Men Are Saying About the Men’s Rites of Passage



‘Build a better world,’ said God. I answered, ‘How, the world is such a vast place and so complicated now, and I am small and useless, there’s nothing I can do.’ But God in all his wisdom said, ‘Build a better you.’
— Native Wellbriety