Fr.Titus Rodrigo O.S.B. is a Catholic priest from Sri Lanka in the Order of St. Benedict. At present he is working as Deputy Principal at St. Anthony’s College, Kandy, Sri Lanka. He also works as Resource Personnel for the National Institute of Education in his home land.

He began Sadasarana Children’s Handicraft Project in 1987 to raise funds to help the poor children continue their education, and to help the students to discover their God-given talents on the line of handicrafts, while on the process directing the children to develop, preserve and to use the gifts of nature sparingly.

While ministering in the Diocese of Fresno, U.S.A., from 2000 to 2005, he completed his Master’s Degree on Education Administration at California State University Bakersfield. During this time he became familiar with new techonolgoy which served to improve Sadasarana projects.

At this time he changed the name of his project to Sadasarana Children ‘s Education Fund which was approved as a non profit organization in U.S.A., with the help and guidance of the “Beautiful People” whom he refers to as his “second family” and ‘spiritual family”. This family consists of individuals he met in the areas that he ministered in U.S.A., especially Bakersfield.

email: bk542003@yahoo.com

Alex Padilla was born in 1961 in Tijuana, Mexico. Six months after his birth, he and his family moved to Bakersfield, California. Alex was raised there with his father (Alejandro Padilla), mother (Carmen Padilla), and five sisters.

Alex has been married for seventeen years to Elizabeth Padilla. They have two girls together, Kristen (sixteen-years-old) and Jennifer (twelve-years-old). They attend Sacred Heart Parish in Greenfield, CA. Alex is a fourth degree Knight of the Knights of Columbus and teaches the fourth grade Religion Education class.

Alex works as a Purchasing Assistant at Memorial Hospital. He has been employed by the hospital for twenty-five years.

“I would like to have your support with the ‘Sadasarana Children’s Education Fund"

email: caabaybeth12@netscape.com

Begonia De Leon was born and raised in a traditional Catholic family in Los Angeles, California. She moved to Bakersfield in the summer of 1989. She is a single parent with two grown sons and a young daughter.

Begonia works for a local accounting firm, has earned her Associate in Business from Bakersfield College and continues her studies at Cal State Bakersfield.

She believes that we all can help our community in some way giving what we can. Communities are not built by a single individual but by many individuals giving what they can of their time but most of all, their heart. Begonia is involved with Crown Ministries, House of Mercy, Pro Life and the Sadasarana Children's Education Fund.

email: bg@fkrcpa.com

Melissa Gaeta was born and raisecd in Wasco, California. Her parents are Cipriano and Carmen Gaeta. She is the youngest of six children, unmarried and has no children.

She began lectoring in 1980 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. In 1981-83 she taught Catechism, or Religious Education as it is called now. In 1985 she moved to Bakersfield, where she became both a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Francis Church. She also became involved with a young adults/singles group, a 12-Step program, and taught Religious Education for several years.

In 2001, she began attending St. Joseph the Worker Parish. Here as well she became a lector and Eucharistic Minister. Melissa also teaches Religious Education and became a member of the Legion of Mary and now serves as President of the Legion of Mary at her parish since February of 2005.

May the peace, grace, love and joy of our Blessed Mother be with you and may the angels guide and protect your steps as we journey to our everlasting and eternal joy in Heaven.

email: mylissag2002@yahoo.com

Joann Leon is a native of Delano, California, raised in the Apostolic Faith most of her early life, and later studied the Jehovah Witness Faith. In March 2002, she converted and was baptized Roman Catholic.

Joann now lives in Bakersfield, CA, and works as office manager for a local dental office. In her free time, she is very active at her parish, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where she volunteers on a weekly basis. She is also involved in the St. Vincent de Paul Conference, acting as President, and the Legion of Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Presidium, serving as vice president. In addition, Joann is acting treasurer of the Sadasarana Children’s Education Fund. Joann has been accepted to the Spiritual Direction School of the Risen Christ OSB, where she will receive training to become a Spiritual Advisor.

Joann believes our works of charity is love and this is key to our spiritual growth. As we experience Christ's love, we return His love by finding Him in those we encounter. As we experience Christ's love, we let those in need look for and find the face of Christ in us. As we experience Christ's love, we evangelize to the poor by witnessing our faith by both word and action. And as we experience Christ's love, we are evangelized by the poor by witnessing their faith and hope in God.

email: johortigoza@yahoo.com

Ralph and his wife, Maria, have six children and seven grandchildren. His hobbies include astronomy, camping, fishing and computers.

Ralph is a member at St. Joseph's parish and a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He is, also, the photographer for SCEF and maintains a database of photographs taken at local events held by the organization and photographs taken by Father Titus in Sri Lanka.

email: rrus150249@sbcglobal.net

Maria Guadalupe Stark was born in Jacona Michuacan, Mexico, and the fourth child of six girls. She entered into the United States in 1962, and lived in Santa Monica, California for four years, later moving to Ventura, California. After graduating from Ventura High, she married Ronald Stark, at the San Buena Ventura Mission. They moved to Chico, California, where Guadalupe worked while her husband completed his education and received his Civil Engineering Title.

In 1974, they moved to Bakersfield, California, where Ronald accepted a job with the City of Bakersfield and Guadalupe worked as a bookkeeper for an oil related company. In 1976, they had their first child, Christina, and, a couple of years later, welcomed their second daughter, Sandra. At this point, Guadalupe became a full time "Mom".

Guadalupe obtained her real estate license in 1980 and worked part-time for Century 21. It was after her daughters graduated from college, that she became a full time realtor. Not totally satisfied with her career; Guadalupe felt something was missing: God! As a result, she joined the Marian Movement of Priest, the Mater Dei Rosary Prayer Group, the Nuestra Senora del Rosario, and the Bakersfield OCDS, Maria, Mater et Regina Carmeli Group.

She is now hoping to be useful to this wonderful non-profit Sadasarana Children's Education Organization, founded by Fr. Titus. She knows that her desire is to love and to serve God above all.

email: mgpita@yahoo.com

email: lbraganza@att.net

email: rjblack@pacbell.net