About Christ Child · Los Gatos, California
Christ Child Church is a small, warm Roman Catholic parish tucked into the redwood-covered Santa Cruz Mountains along Summit Road in Los Gatos, California. Belonging to the Diocese of Monterey, it was founded in 1966 as a mission of St. Joseph's in Capitola and became an independent parish in 1983. The parish's mission statement — 'Dedicated to Growth in Christ and to the Challenges of Loving Service' — captures the character of a close-knit mountain community where Mass is offered five days a week, a busy schedule of lay ministries (Men's Club, Women's Club, Cursillo, choir, Confirmation, food outreach) brings parishioners together, and a long-tenured pastor, Rev. Eugenio Arámburo, has shepherded the community since 2004.
- Established
- 1983
- Patron
- Christ Child (the Child Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Eugenio Arámburo
- Diocese
- Diocese of Monterey in California
Why belong here
Christ Child is a small, easy-to-enter parish where the pastor knows regulars by name and lay ministers run nearly every dimension of parish life. Weekday and Sunday Masses are celebrated in a quiet mountain setting, and the parish maintains a rich roster of formation (Confirmation/CHOSEN, RCIA, CCD), spiritual (Cursillo prayer groups, Eucharistic Adoration on the first Thursday), and fellowship ministries (Men's Club, Women's Club/Prayer Group, choir, coffee & donuts). It is also a parish with a tangible social conscience: food and clothing collected in the church vestibule are channeled through St. Vincent de Paul and the St. Francis Soup Kitchen.
Mass times at Christ Child
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By request or appointment
Adoration times
- First Thursday of the month: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (after Mass)
- First Thursday of the month: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
About Christ Child Parish
Christ Child is a small, welcoming Catholic parish serving the mountain communities along Summit Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains east of Los Gatos. The parish's mission statement — 'Dedicated to Growth in Christ and to the Challenges of Loving Service' — frames a community that takes both spiritual growth and concrete outreach seriously. Liturgies are celebrated in English in an intimate mountain setting, and the pastor and lay ministers know their parishioners by name.
- Mission statement: 'Dedicated to Growth in Christ and to the Challenges of Loving Service'
- Welcoming statement from the parish: 'Welcome to our small church in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains of California. We are warm and welcoming.'
- Parish community center hosts fellowship and ministry gatherings
History
The community began in 1966 as a mission church of St. Joseph's Parish in Capitola, serving Catholics scattered across the Summit Road corridor. In 1983 it was formally erected as an independent parish, with Rev. Joseph Leonard as its first pastor. Five priests have led the parish since, the last of them — Rev. Eugenio Arámburo — having served continuously since 2004. Over the decades the parish built up a stable rhythm of weekday and Sunday Masses, Cursillo prayer groups, a Men's Club, a Women's Club/Prayer Group, and outreach partnerships with St. Vincent de Paul and the St. Francis Soup Kitchen.
- 1966: Founded as a mission of St. Joseph's, Capitola
- 1983: Erected as an independent parish
- Five pastors since 1983, listed in full in the pastor history section
Parish Staff & Leadership
Rev. Eugenio Arámburo has been pastor since 2004 and also serves as the parish's Liturgy and RCIA Coordinator. The Diocese of Monterey directory (2019) lists the parish's lay leaders, who handle religious education, business, confirmation, and the Men's Club.
- Pastor — Rev. Eugenio Arámburo (since 2004)
- Business Manager / Bookkeeper — Rosanna Kennedy
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Christine Magnin
- Confirmation Coordinator — Herb Curran
- Men's Club President — Paul Taylor (2019)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers a complete sacramental formation pathway for children and adults. Religious Education (CCD) and RCIA for adults becoming Catholic are both coordinated from the parish office, and Confirmation preparation follows the diocesan CHOSEN curriculum. Confirmation is a two-year journey starting in the freshman year of high school, with 24 classes per year plus a retreat; weekly Sunday Mass attendance is expected.
- CCD Religious Education — coordinated by Fr. Eugenio
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic — coordinated by Fr. Eugenio (call 408-353-2210)
- Confirmation (grades 9–10) — uses the 'CHOSEN: Your Journey toward Confirmation' program
- Classes: Sundays 9:00–10:00 AM, in person and online
- Confirmation requirements: Baptismal certificate, First Communion certificate, birth certificate
- Confirmation registration donation: $50 per child / $100 per family; financial hardship accommodated
- Confirmation Coordinator: Herb Curran
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Lay involvement is the lifeblood of this small mountain parish. The Ministries page on the parish website lists contact people for nearly every area of parish life, from music and liturgy to finances and grounds. Long-running groups include the Men's Club ('Fellowship with a Purpose'), the Women's Club/Prayer Group, and the Cursillo community.
- Men's Club — fellowship and dinners, second Wednesday of the month
- Women's Club / Prayer Group — meets the 4th Wednesday of the month, 1:00–2:30 PM in the Community Center
- Cursillo — women's prayer & adoration group and men's prayer group, Tuesdays 8:00–9:00 AM
- Parish Choir — practices one hour before Sunday Mass (contact Norma Hammons)
- Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Acolytes — scheduled through John Hench
- Pastoral Council — chaired by David Hammons
- Financial Committee — chaired by Bridget Smith
- Grounds & Maintenance — volunteers welcome
- Potlucks and social events — organized by Gina Boisvert and Nanette Garcia-Thomas
Outreach & Social Ministry
Parishioners support the surrounding community through ongoing food and clothing drives. Baskets in the church vestibule collect donated items that are then distributed through partner organizations serving those in need.
- St. Vincent de Paul — food and clothing distribution
- St. Francis Soup Kitchen — food and clothing drop-off
- Donation baskets located in the church vestibule
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments. Baptisms, weddings, and anointings are arranged by calling the parish office, and the pastor personally handles inquiries from adults seeking to become Catholic or to receive Confirmation and First Communion.
- Baptism — by appointment through the parish office
- Wedding — by appointment through the parish office
- Reconciliation (Confession) — by request or appointment
- Confirmation — two-year preparation, see Faith Formation section
- RCIA — inquiries welcomed; contact Fr. Eugenio at 408-353-2210
Devotions & Prayer Life
Beyond Mass, the parish nurtures a steady devotional life centered on Eucharistic Adoration, Cursillo prayer groups, and weekly fellowship. The first Thursday of each month is the parish's main day of eucharistic devotion, with two adoration blocks.
- Eucharistic Adoration — First Thursday, 9:30–11:30 AM and 6:00–7:00 PM
- Cursillo women's prayer & adoration group — Tuesdays 8:00–9:00 AM
- Cursillo men's prayer group — Tuesdays 8:00–9:00 AM
- Women's Club/Prayer Group — 4th Wednesday of the month
Visit, Location & Community Life
Christ Child sits on Summit Road, roughly two miles east of Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Coffee and donuts follow the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass, and the parish Community Center is the gathering hub for dinners, meetings, and potlucks throughout the year.
- Address: 23230 Summit Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033
- From Highway 17: exit east onto Summit Road; the church is on the right about 1.5 miles in
- Coffee & Donuts after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass
- Men's Club dinners and Women's Club meetings in the Community Center
- Weekly email bulletin available via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Leonard1983–1990
First pastor when Christ Child was erected as an independent parish.
- Rev. John Murphy1990–1995
- Rev. Marvin J. Steffes1995–2003
- Rev. Paul Valdez2003–2004
Brief transitional pastorship.
- Rev. Eugenio Arámburo2004–present
Longest-serving pastor; also serves as Liturgy & RCIA Coordinator.