At 537 E Street in Ramona, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church is known for joining attentive worship with hands-on service. Its week is shaped by Catholic Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, Scripture study and prayer, while its ministries extend from faith formation and family life to care for the hungry, homebound and hearing-impaired members of the community. Children move through First Communion and Confirmation preparation here, high school teens gather for a Christ-centered youth group, and adults can join the process of Christian initiation. The parish's mission gives these activities a shared direction: the Catholic faithful of Ramona listen attentively to God's word and respond in loving service, with Mary as their model.
A Steady Week at 537 E Street
Worship at Immaculate Heart of Mary is liturgical and centered on the Mass. The weekly pattern includes a Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses, Mass every weekday, and recurring monthly celebrations.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM.
- Sunday: 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM.
- Monday through Friday: 8:00 AM.
- First Saturday of each month: 8:00 AM.
- Last Wednesday of each month: 7:00 PM in Spanish.
The 10:30 AM Sunday Mass is also celebrated in Spanish. These recurring times give families and visitors a dependable pattern for joining the parish, and the same worship rhythm shapes formation. First-year and second-year classes are placed around the Sunday Masses, while the 8:00 AM weekday Mass provides a regular place in the middle of the week. The parish's mission is not limited to worship: its people are called to listen attentively to God's word and respond in loving service, with Mary as their model.
Saturday Confession and First Friday Adoration
Confession is offered on Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:00 PM, and appointments are also available. The parish presents Reconciliation as an encounter of mercy rather than judgment or punishment. It gives people a way to express sorrow, heal broken relationships, forgive themselves and others, and reopen communication with God. What a penitent reveals remains sealed because the confidentiality of confession is absolute. At the center of the sacrament is the priest's absolution in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Eucharistic Adoration fills the first Friday of each month from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers serve at Mass and bring Communion to sick and homebound people. They must be confirmed Catholics who are at least 16 years old, and they receive in-parish training in the parish's liturgical procedures. Ministers are ordinarily assigned two or three times a month at a preferred Mass, allowing the sacramental life of the altar to extend into direct service to those who cannot easily come to church.
One Community, Two Languages
Spanish is woven into regular worship rather than reserved for an occasional occasion. The 10:30 AM Sunday Mass and the 7:00 PM Mass on the last Wednesday of each month are celebrated in Spanish. The parish also supports Hispanic ministries for morning prayer, Eucharistic ministry, the proclamation of the Word, hospitality, altar serving, homebound care, Divine Mercy, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, Unidos en la Fe, and a Guadalupano group.
The wider ministry roster also includes a Fil-Am group, while homebound care is listed in both bilingual and Spanish capacities. Spanish and English appear together in registration and formation guidance. This bilingual presence extends through worship, preparation for the sacraments, care of homebound members, and service organizations, allowing language to shape participation rather than simply accompany it.
Growing Up in the Faith
Faith formation follows a clear parish pathway through elementary school, middle school, and high school. A child must be at least in second grade to begin First Communion preparation, and middle school students are placed into First Communion preparation. High school students prepare for Confirmation, with a copy of both Baptism and First Communion required for registration. Places are limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration requires a parish registration form, attendance at a parent meeting, a signed contract, a copy of the child's Baptism certificate, and electronic payment for faith formation. A family that is not yet registered must submit the parish form, while registered families are asked to update changes to their address or phone number. The requirements make the child, parents, parish registration, and sacramental preparation part of one connected process.
Classes meet every Sunday in the Social Center, Seton Center, and Conference Hall. First-year candidates meet after the 10:30 AM Mass, and second-year candidates meet after the 8:00 AM Mass. Each class lasts about one hour, and candidates and their parents attend for two years. Students complete a weekly sheet with questions about the Mass and return it the following week. Every four weeks, they also receive a Mass attendance sheet for the priest to sign. The parish emphasizes that this one hour of class is only part of formation and that parents are crucial in actively teaching faith at home.
Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist may begin in second grade. It includes class attendance, weekly participation in Mass, parent formation, and engagement in parish life as a family. This preparation is designed for children registered in the parish's Faith Formation program and is connected to the larger sacramental journey that begins with Baptism and continues through the Eucharist.
A Place for Teens to Belong
The High School Youth Ministry welcomes teens in grades 9 through 12. All are welcome, whether they are preparing for Confirmation or have already been confirmed. The ministry seeks to create a Christ-centered community in which teenagers grow together in faith through spiritual, social, and service opportunities. Peers help lead this process as teens develop a shared relationship with Christ rather than experiencing faith as an isolated individual pursuit.
The youth group's Core Team gives students a way to shape that community. Its members are driven by a desire to serve, grow in their faith, and foster a welcoming, Christ-centered environment for other teens. The Core Team also plays an essential role in the spiritual life of the parish's larger youth ministry, particularly during major parish events.
Sacraments That Shape a Catholic Life
The parish presents the sacraments as a connected life in faith, with each one carrying forward what begins in another.
Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation
Baptism is described as “the sacrament of faith,” with the faith it requires being a beginning that is called to develop. Children under seven receive Baptism in the Church's form for young children, while children over seven and adults follow the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults or an adapted process for children. The latter is a two-year path for older children and adults who are unbaptized or lack the sacraments of initiation.
The Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is the central focus of the Church's sacramental life. The faithful are described as being born anew through Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation, and receiving in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. Confirmation enriches a person with special strength from the Holy Spirit, unites the person more firmly with Christ, and completes initiation into full membership in the Church. At Confirmation, the Holy Spirit is received through anointing with oil and the laying on of hands by a bishop or a priest appointed by him.
Healing, Forgiveness and Marriage
The Anointing of the Sick is a ritual of healing for physical, mental, and spiritual sickness. It is administered with blessed oil and prayer and may be received by any baptized person who has reached the age of reason and is in danger of death because of sickness or age. The parish connects this sacrament with the healing ministry of Jesus and with the promise of the strengthening of the soul and, at times, the body.
Marriage is presented as a sacrament of self-giving love rooted in God's love for creation. The couple is the minister of the sacrament, and the priest serves as a witness. Engaged couples take Pre-Cana sessions around the Diocese, while marriage preparation coordinators require couples to begin the process at least nine months before their wedding.
Holy Orders
Holy Orders continues Christ's priesthood and ordains a person to the office of bishop, priest, or deacon. Priests lead Catholics, proclaim the Gospel, celebrate Mass, and administer the sacraments. Deacons assist priests and bishops, preach, minister at Baptisms and weddings, and care for the poor and hungry on behalf of the Church. Bishops ordain and supervise priests and deacons, unite and lead the Church's ministers, and teach the people of God.
Adult Faith and Continuing Formation
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes men and women in several circumstances: those who have never been baptized, those baptized in another faith who wish to become Catholic, and Catholics who have not received Confirmation or the Eucharist but want to complete their initiation. Adults who simply want to learn more about the Catholic faith are also invited into the process. Daily Scripture readings, Catholic books, prayer apps, and study programs provide additional ways to continue learning.
Among the resources named are Hallow, Ascension Press, Formed, Amen, myParish, Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, and Daily Gospel Exegesis. In parish, Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 9:00 AM in the Conference Room, while the Legion of Mary meets on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM there as well. The Rosary for Peace is prayed on Wednesdays after the daily Mass in the Mother's Room, and a Divine Mercy gathering takes place on the first Tuesday of each month. Centering Prayer, Cursillo, marriage preparation, and other prayer and formation groups extend this rhythm for adults.
Service in Many Forms
Service roles within the liturgy are supported by practical preparation. Altar Servers must have received First Communion and receive parish training, with annual refresher training and on-the-job instruction. Those who also distribute Holy Communion must be confirmed and complete special training as Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers. Lectors receive one-on-one or small-group coaching in liturgical procedures, reading skills, and the practice of proclaiming Scripture. Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers receive similar preparation for their role in distributing Communion at Mass and to the sick and homebound.
The parish's service life extends well beyond those liturgical roles. Its ministries include Feed the Hungry, Homebound, Hearing Impaired, Parish Nurses, Prayers & Squares, Hospitality, Social Justice, Family Life and Spirituality, and Bereavement. Other groups include Art and Environment, the Recycling Program, Giving Tree, Cursillo, and Retrouvaille of Southern California. Knights of Columbus Council 9133 meets on the second Wednesday of each month, and the Rosary for Peace connects prayer for peace with the parish's regular weekly worship.
Community and cultural connections are also visible in the Fil-Am group, the Guadalupano group, Unidos en la Fe, and a Spanish Divine Mercy group. Together with the Hispanic ministries, these groups connect worship, prayer, family life, fellowship, and service. The parish's ministries are varied in form, but they share a common direction: people bring their time, abilities, and concern for others into the life of the Church.
Stewardship as Discipleship in Action
Immaculate Heart of Mary describes stewardship as “everything we do after we say, ‘I believe.’” For the parish, stewardship means discipleship in action, expressed through the use of time, talent, and treasure. Its teaching connects Scripture, gratitude, dependence on God, prayer, and the sharing of talent. It also calls for proportional giving, accountability, trust in God, and a willingness to put God first in all things. The parish recognizes the tithe as an important sacrificial goal and encourages people to take incremental steps toward giving a full tithe.
Parishioners may contribute by check or cash during services or through online giving. Online contributions may be one-time or recurring and can be directed to particular parish collections. Checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, and Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit cards are accepted. Donors enrolled in online giving receive receipts by email. Giving is framed not as a transaction but as a response of love and gratitude that supports the parish's work of service.
Newcomers and Longtime Parishioners
Parish registration is available in printable and online forms through Immaculate Heart of Mary's parish registration. The parish office at 537 E Street is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The parish telephone number is 760-789-0583.
Attire is intentionally relaxed. The parish asks visitors to feel comfortable and focus on the service rather than on clothing. Sandals, shorts, and a shirt are common in summer, while wearing “Sunday best” is equally welcome. Visitors are not expected to put money into the offering and may simply let it pass by. Those who consider Immaculate Heart of Mary their parish home are encouraged to think about weekly giving.
Immaculate Heart of Mary's life in Ramona is defined by a whole circle: attentive hearing of God's word, worship at the altar, formation that carries each age forward, and service that reaches the hungry, the homebound, and those seeking a place of belonging.