Eucharist - A Sacrament of Initiation

First Communion, along with First Reconciliation, is part of a two-year sacramental preparation program that we have incorporated into the parish's curriculum for Faith Formation beginning in the 1st Grade and concluding in the 2nd Grade.

Second Grade students who exhibit the maturity and desire will begin formal preparation for First Communion. We also offer a two-year preparation First Communion program for older children called RCIA Adapted for Children.

RCIA Adapted for Children 
Christian Initiation is intended for children, not baptized as infants, who have attained the use of reason and are of catechetical age. The RCIA is a two-year preparation program. This rite envisions that all three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) are celebrated at the Easter Vigil.

For more information, contact Claudia Hernandez, Faith Formation Director, at (562) 438-3826, ext. 250 or [email protected].

• Family Faith Formation Program Information Brochure

In receiving the Eucharist, the faithful are brought into deep communion with Christ and one another. Eucharist is from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving,” and is the preeminent sign of unity in the Church. The Eucharist, celebrated as a community, teaches us about human dignity, calls us to right relationship with God, ourselves, and others.

It is through the Eucharist that we fully live the paschal mystery of Christ, we share in his life, death, and resurrection. As the Body of Christ, it sends us on a mission to help transform our communities, neighborhoods, and the world. The Eucharist is our destiny: it is Eucharist or Holy Communion that sustains our ongoing conversion and lifelong faith journey.