2007

In 2007, under the inspiration of Fathers Antonio Castro, Edward Aigner and especially Michael Roark, parishioners of St. Francis De Sales Church in Salisbury, Maryland founded La Merced, a medical mission.

For over fifteen years previously, members of St. Francis had been blessed with their relationship with their sister parish in Managua, Nuestra Senora de la Merced, of which Dr. Antonio Castro has been pastor. Every other year, a dozen or so parishioners of St. Francis ventured down to visit with their brothers and sisters in faith. The five-day excursion consisted of prayer and the sharing of cultures.

The community of Nuestra Senora de la Merced Church includes the Marillac School, which lies next door and the state-owned Roberto Clemente Clinic for Women and Children, which is located just across the street.

Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.  While the Nicaraguan government provided basic medical services to all of its citizens, the level of care we Americans take for granted in the United States was not available there.  While the Nicaraguan government routinely provided pediatric surgery for life threatening illnesses and injuries, there wasnot enough funds to cover plastic and reconstructive surgery for children with congenital deformities. Norfolk-based Operation Smile provided expert care and surgeries for cleft lip and plate patients, but deformities of other parts of the body were going untreated. The founders of La Merced decided to try to fill that void.

La Merced is now independent of the Church, although La Merced and the Church continue to work together in helping the people of Nicaragua