Fr. Carlos Claro, CSV, has been a Viatorian for more than 30 years and during that time he has served as a teacher and administrator at Colegio San Viator and in pastoral ministry, both in Bogotá.
Fr. Claro, left, with a hospital official
For the last 10 years, however, Fr. Claro has answered a different calling: ministering to the sick. This month, Fr. Claro was recognized for 10 years of service by the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogotá.
He began this new ministry in 2012, but it was In 2017 that the manager of the hospital asked him to serve as director of pastoral service. For the last five years, Fr. Claro has led a group of eight chaplains from different religious communities who work on his team. 
Now, Fr. Claro works on the cancer wing, serving people dealing with different pathologies at the hospital. His service focuses mainly on spiritual support, the celebration of the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist, and anointing of the sick. Likewise, he organizes activities with hospital staff.
“Listening to other people’s needs and becoming their spiritual support is important in this ministry,” Fr. Claro says. “Serving others was Jesus’ primary ministry on earth. In that way, working with the sick and praying for their growing faith and trust in God is part of the ministry as chaplain of San Ignacio.”