Guatemala is part of the MSC Guadalupe Province.

The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus have been working with the poor and marginalized in Guatemala since 1968. This mission was legally established as a nonprofit organization there in 1994. Responding to the need to promote and strengthen families, Missionary Sisters have founded two clinics which provide medical, dental, and nutritional services to the most impoverished populations in Guatemala. Dispensary “San Jose” located in Zone 6 of Guatemala City supports migrants, the elderly, the promotion of women, and child development through five peripheral programs designed to foster health and wellness in their communities.

Dispensary “San Jose” provides affordable, quality health care to approximately 4,000 families. Many people living in communities served by the dispensary are working poor with informal jobs

Families near the dispensary are low income, some have formal employment with low wages, many have informal jobs that do not allow them to prioritize health and seek emergency medical attention almost.

In the colony “La Reina” people live in insecurity with many small traders required to pay the “Economic” taxes imposed on them by gangs or cliques. If they do not pay, they are threatened with death by failing to comply with extortion.

In other neighborhoods served by the dispensary live poor families and in unsafe homes which are at risk of landslides and contamination by sewage. These homes are located in the field of risk and are prone to damage from any weather phenomenon occurring at different times of the year. Most people currently do not have the resources to prioritized preventive health. Previously the Ministry of Health was responsible for these communities. However, in the last several years there has been a decline in active participation from the government.

Patients seen at the clinic are offered an affordable, quality service. Private hospitals charge a premium, and an increasing number of people are seeking all their care at the dispensary.

The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus have been working with the poor and marginalized in Guatemala since 1968. Responding to the need to promote and strengthen families, Missionary Sisters have founded two clinics which provide medical, dental, and nutritional services to the most impoverished populations in Guatemala. Dispensary “Mother Cabrini” located in Barcena, Guatemala supports migrants, the elderly, the promotion of women, and child development through seven peripheral programs designed to foster health and wellness in the community.

Bárcena is a semi-rural community that belongs to the municipality of Villa Nueva, Guatemala. It sits southwest of Valle de Las Vacas, approximately 19 kilometers from the center of the capital city.

The people of Bárcena have traditionally been devoted to the cultivation of corn, beans, onion, tomatoes, flowers, and cucumbers. Pests and climate change have altered the way of cultivation and increased costs, causing many to sell their land and engage in other activities. Remaining farm land is predominantly used to feed the family cultivating the land or to be sold in the markets. The increased cost and difficulty involved in farming, combined with the lack of available professional studies, has forced many young people to find work in factories or in the service sector. A decline in the traditional economy coupled with lack of meaningful employment for young people has created a situation where health care is inaccessible. Public clinics and hospitals cannot cope with increased demand and private services are too costly for the poor to utilize. The Bárcena clinic run by Missionary Sisters fills this need for professional quality care.

All services provided at the clinic are subsidized so they can be affordable to the target population. A major challenge to service is the maintenance of properly equipped clinics. Costs of medicine are approximately 30% cheaper than commercial pharmacies in the area.

If you would like to receive updates on the mission in Guatemala, follow the Instagram page or write to us at info@cabriniworld.org. We will put you in touch with the sisters in that geographical area.

Thank you!