El Padrecito Ministries
Our Programs
El Padrecito's Youth Retreats
Retreats Typically Include:
• Three meals, breakfast, lunch and a take-home dinner, freshly prepared in-house at El Padrecito’s Café and Event Center. (Sample Menu, champurrado, pan dulce, tacos, tostilocos, ice cream dessert, tortas to go, etc., but tacos is our go-to meal!)
• Worship music, and talks focusing on the following themes: personal conversion, the Sacrament of Confession, the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist.
• Each student receives a Miraculous Medal with an understanding of the history and spirituality of the Miraculous Medal, prior to departing.
• Beach visit to Oso Flaco Lake and Beach, which includes praying the Rosary. Oso Flaco Lake is one of the most scenic natural areas all along California’s coast, which is only a short bus ride away from El Padrecito’s. (weather permitting).
• Catholic Hip Hop Concert, featuring seasoned artists who have toured around the United States El Padrecito and HIP HOP AND TACOS.
• As of October 14th, 2023 Father Masseo Gonzales is currently seeking permission to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass at his location. It is hoped that Priests will be available at the youth retreat for the Sacrament of Confession.
• Currently priced at $50 per student and staff, with a minimum of 40 students. Next youth retreat scheduled for Saturday, February 10th, 2024, with Saint Rose of Lima, Paso Robles, California
Children's Art Program
El Padrecito’s Art Program has been in operation for three years. Due to not having a volunteer in 2023 to oversee curriculum and instructors, the program is currently halted. Children’s repertoire of art can be seen in El Padercito’s Café.
• Collectively, the volunteer instructors have accumulated over 100 years of instructional experience, either in the public school system or private settings. An instructor assistant is always on hand.
• Classes are 1.5 hours long and focus exclusively on art, the particular genre history, its historical context, and the artist himself or herself. The children learn to use various media including water color, crayon, tempera, pastel, ink, collaborative piece work, etc., and work individually and collaboratively.
• Students range from 7 to12-years-old with classes limited to 20. Because of the demand students are from both Guadalupe and Santa Maria, California.
• In the past an end-of the-semester art show and auction has been held, allowing the public and family to bid on the art, with children receiving 100% of proceeds.
Folklórico Dance Program
El Padrecito’s Folklorico has been in existence since 2010, under the directorship of various salaried instructors and assistants, including but not limited to, Angel Hoyos (local Santa Maria high schools folklorico instructor), Marivel Lozano (Ballet Folklorico Corazon de la Costa), instructors from Allan Hancock College Dance Program, etc.
• Though the emphasis is on children and exposing them to the rich tradition and discipline of folklorico, the center has historically had youth and adult classes as well.
• The program has performed over 100 times throughout the years on the Central Coast, from Lompoc, California to Paso Robles, California, choreographing a number of regional Mexican dances, from Baja California, Colima, Sinaloa, Durango, Guerreo, Jalisco, Sinaloa, etc., and has accumulated its own collection of costumes. Some of the venues include, Atascadero Tamale Festival, Stone Soup Festival, Santa Maria Day at the Park, Dia de Los Muertos San Luis Obispo, Guadalupe Fiestas Patrias, at Catholic parishes from throughout the Central Coast, and at private residences and institutions. As a community organization the group has also participated in a number of parades, and placed at both the Santa Maria Elks Parade (2018 Chairman’s Choice, Best Youth Entry)) and Pismo Beach Clam Festival Parade (2017, Mayor’s Award).
• For most of the last twelve years the “Friends of El Padrecito Ministries, Inc.” have covered the overhead for the classes, making the classes free of charge.
• Currently, due to both financial constraints and the difficulty with locating qualified instructors on the Central Coast who specialize in working with children, and this is the focus of the program, and whose competence fits within the larger vision of El Padrecito Ministries, Inc., the program is currently paused.
Hip Hop Catholic Outreach for Young Adults
In an attempt to reach young adults, especially those with an urban background, Father Masseo Gonzales teamed up in 2019 with Carlos Zamora, aka “C2six” of the Catholic hip-hop group FoundNation, to produce intimate “hip hop and taco” events with young adults, ranging from eighteen to forty-years-old, and those “young at heart.” The events are well produced, with strong audio and lighting, a live DJ, live streamed, etc. and often hosted in warehouses in downtown arts districts. Artist are carefully selected and flown in from around the country, and most recently, even from Mexico and Panama (LA, 2023).
• Events have taken place in Tampa Bay, Florida, Houston, Texas, and in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Guadalupe, California. Concerts can be viewed at www.hiphopandtacos.com.
• Each evening event typically starts with a Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration (if possible), tacos and beverages from a local caterer (non-alcoholic), and a two-hour concert featuring artists from around the United States and out of the country.
• Entrance fee is often kept at a minimum, or in many cases free, so as many youth and young adults as possible can attend.
• Each event is live streamed, with content, often in shorter clips, being free and mass distributed via social media post-event.
• Roughly 75 to 200 people attend each event, often consisting of families, many with children, young adults and people from all walks of life who enjoy saying the Rosary, hearing powerful testimonies and enjoying solid Catholic urban entertainment.
• Each event costs roughly $20,000.00 to produce, and so El Padrecito Ministries, Inc. is always looking for generous donors to sponsor an event.
“Ice-Cream For A Cause” Youth Culinary Program
As part of our youth culinary vocational program, we also provide event and catering space, in our 80 seating capacity event space, with is attached to the parlor. This outreach provides our students the opportunity to serve a broader audience, work more hours, etc. The outreach is also a way to creatively generate funds, as Guadalupe, California is the poorest town in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, and the non-profit is always looking for financial support. Various types of events are hosted, baptisms, gender reveal parties, baby showers, wedding receptions, etc.. To ensure safety, no alcohol is permitted. The following is provide, and please consider our outreach should you need an event space!
• Fifteen tables and ninety chairs included, along with house sound and custom club lighting.
• Seating Capacity 80, assembly 100.
• Decoration can take place a day prior, from 12:00 pm till 8:30 p.m., assuming the space is not rented. There is also access to dedicated commercial refrigerator for storage, etc.
• Price: Saturdays $600.00 and Sundays $400.00. Weekdays $300.00.
• Should client opt for in-house catering, the rental price is discounted 50%. (Saturdays $300.00 and Sundays $200.00) Food choices: Tacos, Posole, Mole, at $14.00 per plate. Birria $17.00 per plate. $1.50 extra for rice and beans. Meals are served for a period of three hours. Aguas Frescas (strawberry, pineapple, Jamaica, horchata, etc.) are $60.00 a container, which roughly serves 40 people.