Nine Days for Life

From the USCCB:  On January 22 our nation will mark the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal throughout the U.S.  Since that tragic decision, more than 56 million children's lives have been lost to abortion, and many suffer that loss -- often in silence.  Join thousands of Catholics across the country coming together in prayer for a "culture of life" from Saturday, January 17 -  Sunday, January 25!

Click here for more information about joining by e-mail, app, text message or online.

Italian Convents as Safe Houses

Click here to read the Global Sisters Report article, "Italian convents act as safe houses in human trafficking portal," by Megan Sweas. Figuring prominently in the article is Sister Eugenia Bonetti, a Consolata Missionary who directs the Counter Trafficking Office at the Union of Italian Major Superiors.  Sister Eugenia has been involved in anti-trafficking efforts for a long time.  In fact, she made a presentation to the SCC JPIC coordinators in Rome in 2008.  We send prayers and good thoughts out to the women religious in Italy who, since 1995,  have saved 6,000 trafficked women from prostitution by opening their doors to them. 

Human Trafficking Awareness Day Evening Prayer

Click here to access an Evening Prayer for Human Trafficking Awareness Day, January 11.  Because this day is, liturgically, the Baptism of the Lord, perhaps this prayer can be prayed at another time.

Remember that other resources are available on the Stop Trafficking website.

Reminder: Sunday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Sunday, January 11  is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, a day dedicated to raising concern about sexual slavery and labor trafficking worldwide.  It started in 2007, when the U.S. Senate designated January 11th as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.  (Although the January date is a U.S. initiative, the United Nations also sets aside July 30 each year to focus on human trafficking, and the  Vatican announced that the Pontifical Council for Migrants has designated February 8 as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.)

Click here to access a prayer service and other resources to commemorate National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

One Family Under God

National Migration Week 2015 begins today with the theme, "We Are One Family Under God."  Click here for more information on the USCCB website.  Here is the prayer for this year's observance (also from the USCCB site):

LOVING FATHER,
remembering that the Holy Family fled violence
and lived for a time as refugees,
we ask that you protect all refugee families fleeing
persecution,
and provide them a place of safety and comfort.
For children who are making perilous journeys,
often alone and without the protection of loved ones,
we ask that you reunite them with their families
and protect them from violence on the journey.
For all migrants,
that they not feel compelled to migrate
but have opportunities in their homeland
where they can thrive and live fully human lives.
Open our hearts so that we may provide hospitality
for those who come in search of refuge.
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Service for Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Click here to access a prayer service to use for your observance of human trafficking awareness month. 

January Issue of Stop Trafficking

Click here to access the January 2015 issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter, focusing our attention on January's observation of human trafficking awareness month.  Each of the pages of the newsletter can be used as an individual handout to help spread awareness of human trafficking and the efforts to eradicate it.  So often we wonder what we can do on an individual basis.  How about sharing this information with one other person?