First Holy Communion John 6:35 - Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. First Holy Communion The First Holy Communion is the pronunciation of standing in good faith with God and Jesus Christ. This sacrament is the second of three and happens to be more than a sign of devotion to the Catholic Church. It shows that you are ready for the first penance, and reconciliation with God to receive the blood and body of Christ. Following the lead of your faith, you will soon be consecrated to being of high faith by having received the Eucharist. In doing so you welcomed a new journey with those around you and with the church. Below is what’s needed of you for this sacrament. First Holy Communion Requirements The following are necessary in order to receive this Sacrament: Child must be ages 7 and up Baptism Certificate is required at the time of registration For children ages 7 and up with no Baptismal Sacrament, a birth certificate is needed at the time of registration for proof of name and identity. Once the child is signed up for catechism, the following is asked from the parents and their child/children: Attend class regularly and be on time for classes (In case of an emergency please inform us.) Mass Attendance on Sundays and holy days of obligation Memorize the prayers required (by January they must know all the prayers) with the help of the parents. Attend the Holy Communion retreat (1st y ear only) Attend the Holy Communion retre at (2nd year only) For 2nd year only; in order to assist your holy communion you must pass the Final Evaluation. Requirements for parents: Attend the Religious Instruction class at the same time as your child. Attend a spiritual Retreat For more information you can contact our office to reach out to the Religious Education team. Our Lady of Solitude Office: (323) 269-7248 LaSoledad@sbcglobal.net

Baptism Acts 22:16 “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” The Holy Baptism The Holy Baptism is our most sacred celebration in the Catholic Community. Not only is it the start of an amazing journey in faith with Jesus Christ, but it also welcomes us to the enlightenment of God above all. Through this sacrament, we discover our life path to be guided by the Holy Spirit that will continue to lead us towards the people of god, the body of Christ, all these being the church. By being Baptized we are freeing ourselves from all sin within and around us as we are choosing a life path for the better. Becoming baptized goes to show that you have begun a new start to being a Catholic Christian and eventually you will follow along with your duty of consuming the blood and body of Christ through the Eucharist. Parents and other major influences, you have decided Baptism is best for yourself or your child, and god alongside the church can't wait for your preparation to this new beginning. Requirements for Baptism The following are necessary in order to receive this Sacrament: For a child to be baptized at our church, parents and god parents must attend a pre-baptismal class. This class is currently taking place online through Zoom. Our in-person classes are pending, however, contact us for additional information related to pre-baptismal classes. All documents are required at the time you register for Baptism, two weeks in advance of the class. A birth Certificate or form from the hospital is required for all toddlers and children. For infants younger than 1, (contact our Parish Office) For children, age must not exceed 6 years of age. ( If so, contact our Religious Education team for more information) For adults or children over the age of 7, who have yet to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, contact our Parish office to obtain more information on this matter. Sponsor Requirements: The name of the Godfather and Godmother in hand-printed letters is needed, as well as proof of their completion with sacraments. (Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage documents from the Catholic church; if both parties are married to each other. ) Sponsor/s must be Catholic and at least Sixteen years of age, in good standing with the church, and aware of the responsibility he/she is about to undertake. They must bring documents of their Sacraments. Per Cannon Law, there is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each [Not 2 sponsors of the same sex] Once parents and godparents have ta ken the class, they have one year to decide which Saturday they’ll be baptizing their baby. Baptisms in Spanish take place on the 1st Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. Baptisms in English take place on the 3rd Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m. For the ceremony, parents should do and bring the following: The child should be in an all-white outfit You must bring a candle, a shell for the holy water, and a towel to dry the child's head once baptized. Parents and god parents must arrive on time, at least 30 minutes before the ceremony. A donation of $75.00 in cash is required from the parents. Including a $20.00 donation for the celebrating father on the day of the Baptism Note: If parents live outside the Parish area, they need their parish's permission to baptize their child at Our Lady of Solitude Church. For more information or questions, contact our Parish Office. Our Lady of Solitude Office: (323) 269-7248 LaSoledad@sbcglobal.net

Marriage Colossians 3:14 - “And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Marriage Marriage by the church, is a sacred moment for the man and the lady in partnership. As this builds and strengthens the bond, they are making a promise to remain together through the end of times alongside God and the Holy Catholic Church. Being said in the Nuptial Blessings during a liturgical celebration of marriage, “Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church.” Since marriage shall take place at a temple, our church is awaiting your visit to make this your place of faith and union with your partner. Below are what we require of you for this celebration. *The procedure of getting married by the catholic church is different for everyone and that is why you must call our office to make an appointment to speak with the Priest. By doing this, he will make sure to guide you and show you what's required of you and of your partner in order to proceed with the following.* All the documents asked for are more a protection than a control. Matrimony is an institution protected by the State and by the Church. The state protects the social dimension, while the Church protects the religious dimension. They bboth have a right to ask for certain legal requirements. THE STATE Application for a Marriage License: There are different offices where you can obtain a license. The closest one here is at Centro Maravilla, 4716 Cesar Chavez Avenue (between Dangler and Arizona Avenues). For information about the cost of the license, call (323) 260-2991. If you are underage, you must provide proof of age with the appropriate documents. Minors are subject to special regulations. YOU DO NOT NEED A BLOOD TEST. NOTE: You do not have to be married civilly to be married by the Church. When you are married by the Church, it is both a civil and a sacramental marriage (two-in-one). But you must bring that license to the priest before the marriage. THE CHURCH 1. Baptismal Certificate You must obtain a recently dated copy of your Baptism Certificate. You must go to the church of your baptism, or write to them asking for a recently dated copy. 2. Confirmation and First Communion Certificates A photocopy of the original certificates is sufficient. I f you have difficulties in obtaining these, let the priest know. 3. Banns Marriage is not a private matter. In your parish, if you do not live in La Soledad Parish, you must let them know of your forthcoming marriage and they, like here, will announce your marriage in three weeks. 4. Pre-marriage Instructions The priest will indicate these to you. 5. Testimony of Two Family Members Your parents, or other family members, must come in and swear and sign documents indicating that you are free to marry. 6. Pre-marriage Questionnaire The priest will do this investigation before your marriage. 7. Persons who have been Married Civilly (not through the Church) The priest will explain the procedure you must take. 8. Details of the Religious Ceremony This matter will be discussed with the priest, in regards to flowers, photography, video, etc. No picture taking after the ceremony. No rice throwing as you leave. No throwing flower petals in Church. Note: Please call our Parish office 6 months in advance of your celebration. DONATION: $500.00 (This does not include music). For music information, please call the Rectory office at (323) 269-7248 For more information or questions, contact our Parish Office. Our Lady of Solitude Office: (323) 269-7248 LaSoledad@sbcglobal.net

Welcome Our Lady of Solitude welcomes you! Whether you’re new here or have always assisted, this website has been created to give life to our church and a new beginning after almost 100 years! It is a new start and a modern way to connect with our community through an online platform. We hope you enjoy every detail we’ve placed so you can remain informed and forever welcomed! Our Community Our community Our community builds our church: without them, there'd be no appreciation toward our temple. In making a page for our community, we show our admiration for the love and support they show us. As they've done so much for us, we’re showing them they'll always have a home in our church. Our Community here at La Soledad has continuously grown and shown its true faith. To this day, we still keep many virtues in place and strive for more for our church. As a community, we make sure we work as one. In doing so, our united ministries and groups keep our church more alive than ever. With our people maintaining a significant responsibility of attending our daily masss’, and helping assist with our daily Sunday Masss’ we can celebrate our adoration towards our faith in Jesus Christ and God along with our place of worship. Our church is almost 100 years standing, making it a significant architecture in Los Angeles and our catholic dioceses. We encourage you to visit us for any of our Sunday masses or weekly masses; we assure you will receive a distinct view of the catholic community and our historical church structure. Repairs and Reconstruction Our Lady of Solitude recently underwent a reconstruction. New indoor and outdoor paint, new windows, doors, lighting, and little details you never knew needed repair have been fixed. Our church closed in October of 2023 and later opened in late December. It was a pleasure to have been a part of this journey with our community and of course, what a good eye we all have for what is now our church. Thanks to our community, we were able to choose designs, and colors, and make this very much-needed change to our church. We want to thank you all for helping us along the process, and for being patient with us for the time being spent outside our temple. After all our faith remained for the time being and we all continued our celebrations accordingly and for that, we continue to celebrate. Below are some before, during the process, and after pictures of Our Lady of Solitude church in East Los Angeles. Our church before

Ministries and Groups Extraordinary of the Eucharist Sacristans Religious Choir Ushers Altar Servers Lectors and Commentators Ministry of the Sick Ushers English | Spanish Ministers of Hospitality The ushers and greeters are the first to be found when entering mass. They greet the public with a welcoming presence along with helping them be seated. Throughout mass, you will find them around if in need of assistance. They also partake in times of emergencies, during the collections, and the giving of the offerings. By them being part of the community, our parishioners are meant to feel more at home and familiar with whos surrounding them. This ministry is a good way to learn to give and to be a part of stewardship in our parish community. Therefore, if you find yourself attending mass every Sunday, assist anyone when there and enjoy greeting those around you during mass. This may be a calling for you to join our community by being a part of the Usher Ministry. Contact us below for information on how to sign up and we'll get you started on the process. Contact To join a ministry contact us and we will provide you with the necessary information. lasoledad@sbcglobal.net (323) 269-7248