Former Lay Missioner Carol Honerkamp aboard the floating clinic Merced, Beni River, Bolivia.
The clinic’s name is Merced, meaning Mercy… It will bring a message of hope to isolated families along the 2,500 miles of navigable rivers in the Beni. Joe plans to do preventive medical work and teach basic hygiene at various centers along the rivers. Our long-range plans are to turn the clinic over to the people.
Rollin’ On A Riverboat
Maryknoll missioners go wherever they are needed, bringing hope and help to marginalized communities. Traveling through the jungles of Bolivia was particularly challenging until they acquired boats. Beginning during the 1940’s, Bro. Gonzaga Chilutti’s mission aboard the good ship Innisfail is one of the earliest examples of this critical work. The Innisfail carried supplies up and down the Beni River to remote villages and isolated families living along its banks. Missioners brought textiles, medicine, local news, and compassion to everyone they encountered.
During the 1970’s, former Lay Missioners Joe and Carol (Castelli) Honerkamp shared a new vision for mission work along the Beni. They wanted more than simply bringing medical supplies to people; they dreamed of creating a mobile clinic. The Honerkamp’s joint faith, knowledge, and determination brought their dream to life in the floating clinic boat they named Merced.
Welcome to the Jungle
The journey to create a floating clinic began roughly a decade before Merced was built. Joe Honerkamp had worked with Maryknoll missioners in Bolivia since 1962. At the time, he was missioned in the small town of Blanca Flor, Bolivia. His expertise as a registered nurse made him an ideal candidate for opening a much-needed clinic here. (The nearest hospital was in Riberalta, which took a week to reach by canoe.) Along with running the new clinic, Joe’s mission also included ferrying medical supplies to communities along the nearby Beni River. His work here inspired the original concept for a “hospital boat”.
Carol Castelli, a sociologist, was also working in Bolivia during the 1960’s. She was working on community development in the Chipari area, near Cochabamba, while serving in the Peace Corps. The two met by chance, and the rest is history. They married in May 1967.
Former Lay Missioner Joe Honerkamp working with a patient while missioned in Bolivia.
Former Lay Missioners Carol and Joe Honerkamp reviewing maps of the Beni Region, Bolivia.
Firm Foundation
Joe and Carol believed that a hospital boat could make a huge difference to the communities they served along the Beni River. Their conviction inspired Carol’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. Castelli, to fundraise on their behalf. Family friend and retired businessman, William Hopwood, also joined the cause and the Hospital Boat Foundation – Pittsburgh was born. Together, they were able to raise funds to build Merced, convert a houseboat into a mobile clinic, and manage the logistics to get it shipped to Bolivia. This took a significant investment of time, money, and unpaid labor to complete. Merced would never have been possible without their efforts.
We had trouble from the very beginning. The clinic was shipped aboard a freighter which was buffeted by early winter storms on a nine-day passage. The freighter landed in the mouth of the Amazon and I went to pick up the clinic. The plan was to sail her up the Amazon. What I discovered was a boat that was not operational. Somehow six tons of sea water had gotten in during shipping.
Rough River
Unfortunately for Merced and the Honerkamps, the floating clinic experienced several setbacks. Merced was damaged in transit by ocean storms, to the point where it was inoperable on arrival. The clinic had to be towed up the Amazon River by other boats. When they could go no further, Merced was lifted onto an old railroad and transported to Bolivia’s border.
Things only got harder from here. The party’s altered travel plans brought them to a set of impassable rapids on Bolivia’s border. To safely pass around, a mile of rough road was created by hacking through the jungle with machetes. Merced was pulled through the makeshift jungle passage using human strength and ingenuity.
Instead of a leisurely trip from the Amazon to the Beni, it took nine months to bring Merced to Riberalta, Bolivia.
The floating clinic Merced on the Beni River, Bolivia.
Former Lay Missioner Joe Honerkamp examining a patient’s mouth, Bolivia.
Former Lay Missioners Joe and Carol Honerkamp aboard the Merced, Beni River, Bolivia.
One day we were making a test run. Joe was at the controls with the motors running about half speed. We had been testing the propellers and Joe put the boat into reverse. The left propeller suddenly pushed almost out of the water instead of pulling the boat backward. Before I could yell to Joe over the noise, the motor sucked into the propeller an eight-inch log. The motor went dead.
Let’s Get Down to Business
Getting the clinic to its new home was only half the battle, however. A full inspection revealed that multiple mechanical and electronic parts had been damaged beyond repair. The Honerkamps had to travel to Germany and the United States to locate suitable replacements. It took an additional ten months to replace, repair, and test new parts to ensure Merced was fully operational.
Thankfully, Bro. Larry Kenning was stationed in Riberalta and could offer a set of helping hands. Bro. Larry was an experienced mechanic, and his expertise was critical towards get Merced up and running. Even with his support, Merced endured several more setbacks. While testing Merced’s new propellers, an eight-inch log accidentally damaged the boat. A fire occurred onboard, damaging Merced’s generator and electrical systems.
With faith and determination, the Honerkamps never gave up on their dream. Merced made her first voyage on the Beni River in early 1973. By 1976, the floating clinic had made ten trips up and down the river. Each trip brought medical aid, medical supplies, classes on nutrition and hygiene, and compassion to more than 40 villages along the river. While the Honerkamps left Bolivia in 1977, the legacy they left behind was priceless.
Interested in learning more about Maryknoll?
You can contact the Archives at:
Maryknoll Mission Archives
PO Box 305, Maryknoll, New York 10545
Phone: 914-941-7636
Office hours: 8:30 am-4:00 pm Monday-Friday
Email: archives@maryknoll.org
Website: www.maryknollmissionarchives.org
References:
Cairns, M. (2024, September 18). Maryknoll memoirs: Bro. Gonzaga Chilutti. Maryknoll Mission Archives. https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/maryknoll-memoirs-bro-gonzaga-chilutti/
Home. Maryknoll Lay Missioners. (2025, January 27). https://mklm.org/
Missionaries of the Catholic Church: Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers. Maryknoll Society. (2025, December 9). https://maryknollsociety.org/
Homepage. Maryknoll Magazine. (2026, March 2). https://www.maryknollmagazine.org/
Honerkamp, J. (1966, February). Male nurse in the jungle. Maryknoll Magazine, 60(2), 16–18.
Sconning. (2016, March 15). A clinic named Merced. Maryknoll Mission Archives. https://maryknollmissionarchives.org/a-clinic-named-merced/
Wheater, E. L. (1976, October). Floating clinic brings hope. Maryknoll Magazine, 70(10), 47–53.
Vail, J. (1973, December). Mechanic for a hopeful town. Maryknoll Magazine, 67(12), 39–41.
Vail, J., & Honerkamp, J. (1972, February). The incredible journey of a boat named mercy. Maryknoll Magazine, 66(4), 12–16.
*Original content comes from the blog post, “A Clinic Named Merced”, which was published on March 15, 2016. This version was edited by Meagan Cairns.
Former Lay Missioner Carol Honerkamp aboard the Merced, Beni River, Bolivia.
Former Lay Missioner Joe Honerkamp carrying a patient, Bolivia.
