Lending aid to Honduras

Poverty and violence in parts of Honduras have stripped families of their ability to meet basic needs. 

In desperation, many must make hard decisions whether they will stay and survive the best they can or migrate to the United States and seek a new life. During this moment of desperation, they believe they cannot meet their family members’ needs and resort to abandoning them at institutions.

Felix Sternfels, a parishioner of St. Jules Church in Belle Rose for the past 40 years, saw this first-hand when he recently visited Honduras and its northern coastal city of La Ceiba. He asked Bishop Michael Lanihan OFM, an Irish missionary bishop of the Diocese of La Ceiba, Honduras, how the Knights of Malta could help them. 

The bishop immediately named a nursing home for the abandoned elderly, Divina Providencia (Divine Providence). 

Sternfel’s mother is from Honduras and his father is “from the bayous here,” so he grew up in a bi-lingual household in the Belle Rose area.

“I’ve always had something soft in my heart for the Honduran people,” said Sternfels, who would occasionally travel to Honduras to visit family.


“The facility is owned by the young diocese (founded in 2011) and run by three Franciscan nuns, one of which is a nurse,” he added.  “It’s almost an orphanage for old people. It’s almost a St. Mother Teresa type experience in that they are  ‘left to die.’ ”

He said before the diocese took over the facility it was operated by volunteers who were “good Catholics doing their best.” But they worked only during the day, and some residents died overnight by themselves. 

The bishop and the group of sisters who run the facility said, “we can’t let this happen.” The diocese took over the facility and the sisters manage it so there is a “24/7” presence. The diocese built a convent on the property. 

When a sister gave him a tour of the property Sternfels was interested in seeing how they raised their own livestock for food. But his heart was especially tugged when the sister pointed to an area where they discovered one morning an elderly man who had apparently been thrown over the fence on the property line overnight. They didn’t know the man’s name, where he came from or about his medical needs.

The residents live in a dormitory type facility, with men living on one wing and the women on the other, and there are no private rooms.

“This facility and these nuns in particular, three of them, are there left to do a lot of the heavy lifting. It’s quite a task they have on them,” said Sternfels, who added they do a “magnificent job.” One of the nuns is a nurse and the other is an administrator.  

The home is well managed, clean and the residents are well cared for. But it is in great financial need, particularly with maintaining the salaries of the few lay employees and the stocking of medicine and medical supplies.  

But of one of the best services the sisters and staff provide is dignity to the people they serve. 

“First the diocese and then the sisters working under the umbrella of the diocese that are taking in our hemisphere the absolute poorest of the poor,” said Sternfels. “And they are treating them with unbelievable dignity and joy and bringing them back to life not caring of their circumstances or where they are, each person is known.”

The facility also tries to research as much as they can about the families and reach out to families.

“Of course they nurse them back to a little healthier physical condition and mentally. But ultimately it is that every life matters,” said Sternfels.

That is why the elements of prayer and faith are present, noted Sternfels. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a small chapel in the nursing home and the bishop or priest from a local parish celebrates Mass and hears confessions, and provides additional spiritual services.

Sternfels got details on specifically how the Knights of Malta can help, and he will report to the Knights at their August meeting in New Orleans on his findings and suggestions on how they could render assistance. His said the apostolate fits into the charism of the Knights of Malta who serve the poor, and particularly the infirmed. 

For more information about the  Knights of Malta apostolate or how to donate, email [email protected]. For more information about the New Orleans of the Knights of Malta, visit regions.orderofmaltafederal.org/neworleans.