One of the things that our parish, San Francisco de Asís of Reitoca, is most proud of, is our help in providing quality health to the people of the parish.
Although our parish is headquartered in the municipality of Reitoca in the Department (like an American state) of Francisco Morazán, the parish area covers 245 square miles of rugged mountains and many communities.
Currently, our parish provides health care via Clínica Santa María, which includes a laboratory, and Farmacia San Francisco de Asís, both in Reitoca.
The parish also has a pharmacy in the municipality of Curarén, the largest of the 5 municipalities of our parish. The pharmacy is called Farmacia Candelaria.
The health care projects are supported by help from our sister parish (Basilica Shrine of St. Mary in Wilmington, North Carolina), SaludHondu, Red Lantern Foundation, and money generated from providing our services.
Thanks to our parish, we have been able to employ 11 full-time Honduran staff. And in Honduras, the gift of a job is one of the most precious gifts of all.
The above photo, from January 2012, shows men constructing Clínica Santa María, the first of our healthcare projects.