Change is part of a missionary's life . . .
From the Incarnate Word Sisters’ farewell message in 2009:
“It is difficult to say goodbye to COAR, [after 26 years] but it is part of what it means to be a missionary. Our Congregation will always hold the children and the people of El Salvador in our hearts. We recognize and appreciate the Archdiocese of El Salvador sharing our love for children. As COAR moves forward into the future, may it continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the people of El Salvador.”
The Casa de Solidaridad - building the future
As the government health services have improved in our town of Zaragoza, we realize that we no longer need a full-service clinic on the COAR grounds. Therefore, we are rebuilding the clinic as a guest house, a Casa de Solidaridad, a House of Solidarity.
An exam room will be part of the new building, a place for health training, vaccinations, and education. The memory and care of Sr. Stan will never leave COAR. But now it will be part of our guests’ everyday life as they enter into the exciting mystery of solidarity.
Check back for pictures of this exciting transformation.
The Madre Stan Clinic - always in our hearts
The Madre Stan Clinic was built in 1983, in the heart of the COAR Children’s Village at the foot of the San Jose Chapel. During the war, 1980-1992, it was a vital center of health care in the distressed area around Zaragoza and for refugees, arriving daily. After the war the clinic offered basic medical care to all of the children in the Children’s Village, the students in the school, the staff of both facilities and the population of Zaragoza.
The clinic staff, a medical doctor, nurse and dentist, could take advantage of our laboratory and pharmacy, which sold medication to the community at a reduced price. The staff worked hand in hand with the housemothers and the technical team helping them to create healthy menus, providing workshops in various areas related to preventative care and good hygiene.
The Clinic was named in honor of Sister Stanislaus Mackey, CCVI, director of COAR from 1983 until 1989. She brought many years of medical training as a surgical nurse in Houston and in health promotion in Guatemala to the task.
Soon after coming to El Salvador, Sister Stan said, “What moves me the most is the children’s longing for love. They miss their parents. We can’t take the place of their parents, but we can help them bear their loss. I know that God is always with me. I feel that I should put my life at stake for something as important as the lives of these children. I love them very much. We sow our destiny here. I’m sure all the sisters feel privileged that the Lord has called us here.”
And she did, indeed, put her life at stake. On June 21, 1989, while driving back to COAR, Sr. Stan was shot in the head by unknown assailants from a passing truck. Because of the severity of her injury (she lost sight in her right eye and partially lost her voice), she was evacuated to Houston where she remained until her death at age 88 on March 17, 2004.
