In the lovely month of May, gift items for sacraments of initiation and vocation are flying out the door of Catholic local and online vendors.

"It's like the week before Christmas with a run on gifts for First Holy Communion, Confirmation, weddings and baptisms," said Anne Yee, manager at Holy Family parish bookstore in South Pasadena.

The six-year-old store underneath Holy Family's parish center has been doing a brisk business this month selling religious gifts imported from around the world. Besides the traditional inventory of medals, statues and plaques, the store has unique gift items such as Italian hand-hammered silver topped rosary boxes featuring images of the Holy Family ($30), Irish Waterford crystal crosses ($75-100) and Della Robia ceramics ($50).

According to Philip Berman, supervisor at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Gift Shop in Los Angeles, springtime is right up there with Christmas as the store's best selling seasons. The gift shop has a corner devoted to Communion gifts, including remembrance prayer books in Spanish and English ($18), jewelry gift sets ($15) and Eucharistic charm bracelets ($10.95-25).

At Pauline Books and Media in Culver City, Pauline Sister Thecla Paolini said customers are snatching up First Holy Communion items such as the "My First Communion Remembrance Book" for $15.95. Other best selling Pauline publications include First Communion kits for boys and girls, featuring a prayer book, rosary, scapular and Eucharist pin in a gift box for $24.95.

Godspace store owner Claudia Satori in Thousand Oaks said sales of children's First Communion Bibles in white or burgundy priced at $19 are "extremely popular." Best sellers also include items from the 1928 Company's Vatican Library Collection line of jewelry, such as a bracelet decorated with different symbols of the sacraments for $35. A small pewter pocket "die" imprinted with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit has proven to be a hot Confirmation gift for only $5.

"There is a real hunger for religious gifts," declared Satori. She said sales have been "incredible" since the store's late February Mardi Gras opening this year.

Sales of "Soft Saints" collectible dolls continue to grow since the line was created five years ago by Anaheim Hills artist Teri O'Toole. Priced at $98, the poly-filled soft body 18" dolls with hand-painted rubber faces include such saints as St. Francis, St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Bernadette. This year, Terri released a popular children's "Holy Halo" activity book featuring puzzles, word searches and coloring pages available for $20 through her website: www.softsaints.com.

For older girls, ages 12-18, a new faith-based magazine "True Girl" published by two Catholic women in Michigan City, Ind., fits the bill for a Confirmation gift that keeps on giving. Recent features in the bimonthly, 24-page, 6-by-9-inch periodical included articles on dating, health, fashion, and vocations, all from a Catholic perspective. Annual subscriptions, priced at $18.95, are available through the magazine's website, www.truegirlonline.com.

"We want to involve young women by offering them an opportunity to write about what's going on in their parish," said editor Brandi Lee. "There are a lot of really great girls making a difference for God, and we want everyone to know it."