The establishment of the Diocese of Rathnapura in 1996 which was originally part of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Galle paved the way for the birth of Caritas Sethmini. The present diocese is situated in a geographical area of Sabaragamuwa province which covers Kegalle and Rathnapura civil districts. The office of Caritas Sethmini, the social arm of the Catholic Church of the Diocese of Rathnapura, was inaugurated in 1996 at Moragahayata.
The name Sethmini was proposed by Reverend Father Dudley Attanayake, the first appointed director of the office. During his term from 1999 to 2004, the Caritas Sethmini as the social arm of the Diocese of Rathnapura continued to grow in its duty. Animation programme took off the ground during this period. Fr. Director, with a limited number of staff launched an animation programme in a limited number of areas which benefited the poor and marginalized people. Animators entered the intended villages, discussed with them, mobilized them and formed small groups. It was the intention of the Director to identify potential individuals and train them as leaders to ensure the continuity and to utilize them as animators of those villages. As the newly established social arm of the Diocese, small scale projects were implemented under the animation program along with the savings of the membership.
In April 2004, a new director was appointed in the person of Reverend Father Charles De Gaulle. During his term, Sethmini Center was transferred to Eheliyagoda. Responding to the pressing needs of the different communities, he initiated to establish few pre-schools in villages and estates. Plantation communities maintained relationship with Sethmini Centre. Rehabilitation program was launched to aid drug and alcohol dependents in village and estate sectors. Community based rehabilitation projects were implemented for the benefit of differently able children and youth in order to integrate them to the society. Life education programs for youth and children motivated change of attitudes and lifestyles. These projects became possible with the support of Caritas Germany. Furthermore, it was during this time when Integral Human Development Program (IHDP) through community empowerment was initiated. Fr. Charles served as director until March 2011.
Reverend Father Texie Dissanayake became the third director of Sethmini Center on September 2011. His appointment as director was made by Bishop Cletus Chandrasiri Perera, OSB. Intensification of the Integral Human Development Program were accelerated by effectively empowering the poorest and marginalized communities and improving the socio economic, psycho-social and spiritual condition of such communities. Capacitating and organizing the community and advocacy and lobbying were the general process followed in this regard. Under the Sustainable Peace Project, healing and reconciliation was promoted among ethnic and religious communities by linking a Tamil speaking village in Mannar Diocese with that of Sinhala speaking village of Ratnapura Diocese. The project on Safe Migration created a heightened awareness on migration and human trafficking issues among the estate and rural communities and also among government officials. Monthly Poland Scholarship grants were given to 60 students selected from financially challenged families in the diocese regardless of religious and racial background. The workers in Matuwagala Estate benefited from the Empowerment of the Green Gold Harvesters Project which aims at strengthening, empowering and organizing of communities by forming small groups, vigilant committees and community based organization and established cordial relationship between the government sectors and estate management to obtain their services easily. Civic dialogue and cross community activities project commencing in July 2013 implemented activities within the Self Help Groups and Community Based Organizations, improved their capacities and increased the membership in order to stand on their own in the future. Lenten Education Program was launched in all these three years and the collections from all the parishes were used to assist the medical needs of the poor and the vulnerable. Father Texie served as director until August 2014.
Rev. Fr B. Anton Sriyan, the fourth Director of Caritas Ratnapura Sethmini, commenced his service in August 2014. Under his leadership various activities including community empowerment programme aiming the estate communities, organic home gardens, livestock development, inter-ethnic and religious dialogues were organized by Sethmini. These activities were instrumental in empowering people since they also contributed with their labour for the successful implementation of these activities. Community leaders were capacitated with training programmes conducted both at diocesan and national level. Kegalle District was severely affected and in 2017 Ratnapura district sustained heavy damages due to changing weather conditions. Sethmini assisted more than 7000 families with the help of the other unaffected diocesan centres and SEDEC. Sethmini is grateful to Caritas Sri Lanka and member organizations of Caritas Internationalis for the enormous support extended to our people. Poland scholarship grants have been continued until June 2019. We continued the food security programme during 2019 addressing all the components such as farming units, school children, preschool mothers and children. Green Gold Harvesters project, Peace and Religious amity, Helping people move towards Reconciliation (CAFOD) continued during 2019. Suddenly everything came to a standstill with the barbaric terror attacks by the Islamic Extremist group on three Christian Churches and three prominent hotels in the western and eastern provinces on Easter Sunday, 21st April 2019. Every attempt was made and the leadership was taken by Fr. Director under the guidance of the Bishop of Ratnapura, to meet religious leaders, government officials, Sri Lanka Police and held discussions and empowered Sethmini groups in order to ensure peace and harmony and to prevent ethnic and religious riots to erupt or to spread in the Province.
Rev. Fr. Jude Amila Sanjeewa Peiris was appointed as the fifth Director in June 2019 by Bishop of Ratnapura, Rt. Rev. Dr. Cletus Chandrasiri Perera OSB. Under his leadership, activities started under food Security, Religious Amity, Healing and Reconciliation, Helping People move towards Reconciliation were accelerated and strengthened. He spent more time to meet individually the religious leaders to ensure religious amity and harmony, within the society, because of the negative effects flowed down by the barbaric terror attacks on Easter Sunday. Positive role of religious leaders on peace and harmony contributed a lot to ensure peace within the Diocese. Caritas Ratnapura had to give its priority for group strengthening and empowerment to ensure peace within their localities. Every possible action was taken to restore the dignity of the community of Lellopitiya Estate under the project on “Empowerment of Green Gold Harvesters by Strengthening of workers’ rights, by empowering, group formation and strengthening, developing relationships with estate management and government officials and making arrangements to issue legal documents to the needy by government institutions.
He spent more time in field, meeting beneficiary families, than staying in the office. He wanted to see the progress on his own, especially those organic home gardens developed under the food security programme. Beneficiary families appreciated his visits and they were encouraged and took the initiative to develop their organic home gardens for their use and also to earn additional income for the family. He emphasized the need of strengthening the SHGs, Vigilant groups, CBOs through the interventions of Caritas Ratnapura Sethmini. His vision has been that the strong groups will surely contribute to sustainability of the programmes.
Very Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando was appointed as the sixth Director of Caritas Ratnapura Sethmini Centre in October 2020, by the Bishop of Ratnapura, Rt. Rev. Dr. Cletus Chandrasiri Perera OSB. The project on Food security, started prior to him, continued until May 2023. From June onwards, new project on Food Security commenced its implementation, reaching more number of target beneficiary families, extending to several areas under his leadership. In addition another project was implemented during the period to enhance food security and livelihoods for crisis affected families in the rural sector. Promoting a common vision for tolerance and harmony among all Religions continued until end 2023. Peace project too continued during his time. A Stepping Stone to safeguard Sri Lanka’s Natural Environment commenced its implementation in the year 2022 and continuing up to date. Second micro project on poultry rearing with the support of Irasil Foundation got off the ground in 2024. Projects to facilitate Green Gold harvesters to reap maximum benefits for plantation communities continued during the period. New projects to empower plantation communities for improving the quality of Life started implementation during this period. A project to support Primary Education of Poor and vulnerable children was implemented from 2021 to 2023 to benefit 500 poor and vulnerable children in the diocese.
Sri Lanka faced its worst multidimensional crisis since independence, experiencing unprecedented economic, political and social disruption during this period. The economy contracted significantly in 2022, exacerbated by the impacts of COVID 19 pandemic. Economic activities in the country and also in our province have been negatively affected by fuel and poor shortages, inflation has accelerated including the shortages of good, fuel price increases and currency depreciation. Families who were severely affected by the economic crisis were supported by two projects on “Enhancing the resilience of the victims of Economic Crisis”. 744 and 1200 families were supported with dry ration packs, 972 and 420 were with educational support, 37 and 210 people with medical support selected from the poor and vulnerable families in the Diocese in order to overcome their burdens up to a certain level.
Fr. Damian Fernando spent more time in the field, meeting beneficiary families of different projects. He discussed and shared views with beneficiary families to understand the actual status of project activities in the fields, to assess results gained by them, to know their attitudes and feelings on Caritas interventions.
Rev. Fr. Emil Denish Fernando was appointed as the new Director in January, 2025 by Bishop of Ratnapura, Rt. Rev. Dr. Anton Wyman Croos.