Today, Catholics everywhere remember those who have been wounded through human trafficking, in which our brothers and sisters are treated as commodities to be bought and sold. We recommit to eradicating this terrible affront to human dignity.
This is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese woman who was kidnapped as a young child and sold in the marketplace. When her Italian owner brought her to his home in Venice, she sought and won her freedom. Bahkita then became a nun in the Canossian Religious order, taking the name of Josephine.
On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II declared her a saint. He said she is “a model of virtue and holiness of life for Christians. To religious believers everywhere she speaks of the value of reconciliation and love, for in her heart she overcame any feelings of hatred for those who had harmed her. She learned from the tragic events of her life to have complete trust in the Almighty who is always and everywhere present, and therefore she learned to be constantly good and generous to everyone.”
Please read the prayer below and the statement against human trafficking, and think: “What can I do to preserve the dignity of my brothers and sisters?”
The full prayer can be read here.
Please read the statement by the Conference of Benedictine Prioresses against Human Trafficking.