Respect Life: Human Trafficking

October 26, 2017

by Respect Life

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

“2414 The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason - selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian - lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. St. Paul directed a Christian master to treat his Christian slave "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, . . . both in the flesh and in the Lord."

Prayer for a victim of human trafficking

Prayer to
St. Josephine Bakhita

St. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery
as a child
and endured untold hardship and suffering.
Once liberated from your physical enslavement,
you found true redemption in your encounter with
Christ and his Church.
O St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a
state of slavery;
Intercede with God on their behalf
so that they will be released from their chains
of captivity.
Those whom man enslaves, let God set free.
Provide comfort to survivors of slavery
and let them look to you as an example of hope
and faith.
Help all survivors find healing from their wounds.
We ask for your prayers and intercessions for
those enslaved among us.
Amen.

5 things you can do right now to help end Human Trafficking

1. Learn more --> Schedule a presentation for your church/group/CYO, attend a presentation or watch this awareness video.

2. Pray and consider joining #NOLARespectLife prayer team --> Under Her Mantle

3. Talk about it--> Share what you know with others

4. Participate in our annual Day of Awareness & Prayer against Human Trafficking on Feb. 8th

5. Support or participate in our partner project: We are continuting to assist a local safe house, the Free Indeed Home, where girls ages 12-17 who have been sex trafficked can come for healing & restoration. If you or your group would like to participate in any way, please email the Respect Life Office.

What we do locally

Pastoral Care

Covenant House New Orleans
SpeakHope in the greater New Orleans area
Free Indeed Home -- a home at an undisclosed location in the Greater New Orleans area dedicated to the rehabilitation of minor female victims of sex trafficking and/or sexual exploitation
Baptist Friendship House — assistance to women who are survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation
To help local service providers with specific needs, email the Respect Life Office for details.

Events

St. Andrew the Apostle Church is hosting a presentation on Human Trafficking on Wednesday November 15th from 7-8:30 PM. Presenters are Special Agent Michael Forrester, FBI, New Orleans and Debbie Shinskie, Director, Respect Life Office, Archdiocese of New Orleans. Please note that due to the graphic nature of the discussions, attendance is restricted to persons over the age of 18. All are invited and encouraged to attend the free event and learn how together we can best serve in our churches and communities and do work to end human trafficking. For more information contact the Parish Office at 504-393-2334.

If you or your group would like to participate in the collection of much-needed items, please contact the Respect Life Office to facilitate this (no drop-offs can be accepted) at [email protected] or 504-400-4824
Current needs…
pasta, rice, cereals, canned meats, & fruits

If any groups, particularly on the Northshore, are able do donate perishable foods such as fresh fruits, bread, & meat, please contact the Respect Life Office at [email protected] or 504-400-4824

***The Free Indeed Home is currently hiring women who feel called to work with the girls they have in residence at the home. Part time or full time. Childcare experience preferred. The Free Indeed Home is a faith-based home. Please contact Beth at 985-373-4446 or [email protected].

Day of Awareness & Prayer Against Human Trafficking is February 8, 2018

Please be aware of the signs of trafficking: http://polarisproject.org/recognize-signs
if you see something, SAY SOMETHING! It is better to report a suspicious incident & be wrong than to be right & say nothing.
National Human Trafficking Hotline… 888-3737-888 — keep this number in your phone!

For more information on Human Trafficking, please visit the website… https://respectlife.arch-no.org/human-trafficking