SBJ Home • Medical Teams • Patient Profiles • Newsletters • Needs

The St. Benedict Joseph Medical Center

is a small, Catholic surgical center and basic healthcare clinic strategically located on the outskirts of the colonial city of Comayagua, almost exactly midway along the major Central American Highway that runs through the country. Its purpose is to help meet the unmet medical needs of the poor.

The Center hosts visiting surgical teams who offer their services free of charge to the poor. SBJ has four operating rooms and all the basic services of a surgical suite from pre-op to recovery. It also provides support services such as consult rooms, a clinical lab, a pharmacy and patient rooms for short-term observation after surgery.

When not hosting visiting medical teams, St. Benedict Joseph functions as a free basic health clinic serving approximately 1000 patients monthly. When possible, it will offer prenatal care and birthing services for low-risk, non-emergency pregnancies.

The St. Benedict Joseph Center is inspired by the words and example of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our desire is to show His love in action. Its atmosphere is one of faith, prayer, dignity and respect reflected in the attitude, speech and behavior of all staff and volunteers. The heart of the Center is the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus reserved in the chapel. Catholic moral teaching and ethical directives guide all medical treatment and advice.

The St. Benedict Joseph Medical Center is a joint effort of Light of the World Charities and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and is placed under the authority of the Catholic Diocese of Comayagua.

Those We Serve:

• Families with income of less than $200 per month
• Single mothers and their children
• Senior citizens with no family support
• The homeless, handicapped, and mentally ill
• Residents of homes for children, youth, and the elderly
• Manual laborers without professional degrees or titles
• The malnourished, undernourished, abused and neglected
• Those who lack adequate housing
• Those who live in remote rural areas, engage in substinence farming for survival, and members of indigenous tribes.

Common Illnesses, Conditions and Health Risks among St. Benedict Joseph Medical Center Patients:

• Respiratory Problems
• Cleft Lip and Palate
• Insect-borne Diseases
• Crippling Burn Scars
• Parasites
• Cataracts and Vision Problems
• Malnutrition and Vitamin Deficiency
• Urological Difficulties
• Women's Health Concerns
• Hernias and Goiters
• Skin Conditions
• Infectious Diseases
• Maternal Death
• Infant Mortality

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Convento San Serafin
Apartado 331
Colonia Francisco Morazan
Comayagua, Honduras
Central America