The Madre Stan Clinic at COAR Children’s Village

The Madre Stan Clinic

The Madre Stan clinic is located within COAR Children’s Village at the foot of the San Jose Chapel.  The clinic offers 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, have use of a clinic laboratory and pharmacy which sells medication to the community at a reduced price.  The staff works 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.