Tucked into a residential stretch of West 88th Street in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, the Church of the Visitation has welcomed Catholic families since 1943. Part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the parish gathers for the Eucharist every day of the week and pours its energy into forming children, teens and adults in the faith, running an attached Catholic school, and taking Catholic social teaching into the wider community. Fr. Brian Chung was recently installed as pastor, succeeding the long pastoral season of Msgr. James Forsen, who continues to serve the community through his popular online reflections.
Sunday Mass, Weekday Mass, and the Rhythm of the Liturgical Year
Saturday evening brings the Vigil Mass at 5 PM, followed by three Sunday celebrations at 8, 9:30 and 11 AM. Weekday Mass is offered each morning at 8 AM. The 8 AM Sunday Mass and all weekday Masses are livestreamed through the parish's Vimeo showcase, so anyone who cannot be in the sanctuary can still follow along with the readings and prayers. Funeral Masses are also livestreamed, and the parish keeps an archive of Holy Week and other special liturgies online.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 3 to 4 PM in the church sanctuary and at other times by appointment. During Lent the parish adds extra reconciliation opportunities, including an Advent and Lenten Penance Service. Holy Week is celebrated with the full range of liturgies - blessing of palms, Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Good Friday services, Stations of the Cross, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night.
Faith Formation for Children: PREP
Visitation's Parish Religious Education Program, known as PREP, forms young hearts in faith from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. Classes meet on Sundays from 9:15 to 10:45 AM in Visitation School, between the early Masses and the 11 AM Mass. The two-year preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion begins as early as first grade, with older children new to the sacraments welcomed into age-appropriate groups. After First Communion, PREP continues through eighth grade to bridge students into the Confirmation program in high school.
The program emphasizes partnership with parents as the first teachers of the faith and offers both in-person gatherings and online sessions. Children of all abilities are included, with full and partial inclusion options and one-on-one catechesis available. Registration is open each fall, and copies of baptismal certificates are requested for new students.
Confirmation: A Two-Year Journey for High Schoolers
Confirmation at Visitation is a two-year process for students in grades 9 through 12, following the Archdiocese of Los Angeles guidelines. Sessions run on Sundays from 11 AM to 2 PM and include the 11 AM parish Mass, so that candidates remain rooted in the Sunday Eucharist. The curriculum draws on Life Teen's Purpose and Ascension Press's Chosen Confirmation materials, with interactive sessions designed to help teens encounter Jesus Christ and understand the Catholic tradition.
Retreats, including a required overnight retreat in the second year, are built into the program, as is a strong service component. Each student completes at least three service projects per year, both inside the parish and in the wider community. Students are encouraged to serve as altar servers, readers and ushers at Mass, and each candidate selects a sponsor who is at least 16, fully initiated, actively practicing and (if married) married in the Church. Tuition is $250 for year one and $325 for year two, with financial assistance available so that no student is turned away.
Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults - OCIA - welcomes adults who are unbaptized, baptized Christians seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, or baptized Catholics who have not yet received First Communion or Confirmation. Sessions begin each fall and meet weekly for sharing, catechesis, prayer, Scripture study and reflection, drawing on resources from the wider Church and visits from members of the Visitation community. The process culminates in the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
OCIA is also a place for fully initiated Catholics who simply want to grow in their faith in community, and for parishioners who feel called to accompany others as sponsors or volunteers.
Servants of the Altar
Altar serving has been part of parish life at Visitation since the parish's founding in 1943, and the Servants of the Altar - SOTA - ministry continues that tradition for students in third grade and up who have received First Communion. The program is built on three virtues called the 3 Ps: prayerfulness, professionalism and positivity. Senior Servers, who are in high school, take on added leadership, help train younger servers and learn sacristan duties.
Trainings are held once a month: senior servers meet Saturdays from 11 AM to noon, and elementary servers meet Fridays from 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM. Servers assist at Sunday and daily Mass, funerals, adoration and other liturgies throughout the year.
Social Justice and Mercy Bags
The Social Justice Ministry explores the Catholic Church's seven principles of social teaching and the papal encyclicals that underpin them. The parish keeps an open collection of online resources on these principles and offers presentations throughout the year. A local expression of this mission is the Mercy Bags ministry, which gathers small hygiene items - soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks and combs - that are packaged and distributed free of charge to guests of St. Margaret's Center, which serves people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Parishioners are encouraged to include a personal note or prayer with each bag.
Visitation Catholic School
Sharing the campus with the parish is Visitation Catholic School, a Pre-K through eighth-grade school that many parish families have attended across generations. The school community overlaps closely with parish life, with families involved in the Parish Carnival, Jog-a-Thon, restaurant fundraisers, and other events that support both the parish and the school. Current parents and alumni regularly serve on the Parish Pastoral Council, the PTO, and various liturgical ministries.
Sacraments of Marriage, Baptism, Anointing and Quinceanera
The parish prepares couples for marriage, with required forms, a class for engaged couples, and a wedding coordinator guiding the liturgical details. Baptisms follow a six-step process that begins with a meeting with a priest, includes a Baptism Preparation Course offered monthly on Zoom, and requires godparents who are confirmed Catholics at least 16 years of age. The parish also celebrates Quinceaneras on Saturdays between 11 AM and 1 PM, with the candidate expected to have received Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation, and with the family submitting registration at least six months in advance. Anointing of the Sick is available for the ill and homebound, and families can request sacramental records through the parish office.
Prayer, Bible Study and Bereavement Support
Among adult offerings, Tuesday Evening Bible Study - also called Bible Buddies - meets on Zoom from 7 to 8:30 PM, with no homework and no long-term commitment required. The group prays and studies Scripture together, currently working through the letters to the Hebrews. The parish maintains an extensive library of prayer resources online, including the Memorare, Pray As You Go, Sacred Space, Simple Prayer, Spiritual Communion (the Anima Christi), and prayers for big love, peace and a caring heart.
A bereavement ministry gathers articles and resources for those grieving a loss, including reflections on grieving through the holidays, grieving small losses, and a Lenten journey through grief. An Elder Care section offers materials from a workshop on caring for aging parents, advance healthcare directives, and links to senior care resources.
Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Life
The Parish Pastoral Council serves as an advisory body to the pastor, with members chosen to reflect the demographics of the parish. The council has been involved in town hall meetings, parish surveys, the launch of new ministries, fundraising ideas, parish events and the recent Renew Visitation campaign. Membership has included longtime parishioners, school parents, young adults returning to the parish with their own children, and alumni who grew up at Visitation and came back to serve. Men's and Women's Cornerstone groups, the Knights of Columbus council, the welcoming committee and liturgical ministries such as lectors and Eucharistic Ministers round out the volunteer life of the parish.
Giving and Staying Connected
Visitation uses ParishSOFT Giving for secure online donations, with options for recurring weekly or monthly gifts as well as one-time offerings. Text-to-Give is available by texting the word GIVE to 310-361-1262, and checks and cash can be delivered to the parish office at 6561 W 88th Street. Subscribers to Parish Posts receive the bulletin and announcements by email, and Mindful Moments with Father Jim delivers weekly reflections from Msgr. James Forsen on YouTube for those looking to deepen their spiritual life between Sundays.