by Gabino Zavala, Justice and Peace Director
February 8 is the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita. St. Josephine was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in Sudan and then Italy. With the help of Canossian sisters, she realized that she was a person who possessed human dignity because she was created in the image of God. She refused to be enslaved and became a Canossian nun who dedicated her life to sharing her story of deliverance from slavery and worked tirelessly comforting the poor and suffering.
The Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General has designated Wednesday, February 8, as an annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking.
The United Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has released a prayer and a toolkit to assist communities in their activities to fight this assault against humanity that targets vulnerable people in our word.
