Feb. 8 - Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita and International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking

Saturday, February 8 is the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.

It is also the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of Sudan and of those dedicated to ending human trafficking. Born in Darfur, she was enslaved as a child and eventually sold to a diplomat who took her to Italy where she valiantly asserted her freedom with the help of the Canossian Sisters of Venice. Join us in prayer, study, and action to mark this day.

Pray

• Use this prayer vigil script individually or with a community: "Together Against Human Trafficking."

Study

• Read the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking newsletter.

• Read about the work of Maryknoll Father Joseph Thaler with human trafficking survivors in Nepal. 

• Read about Maryknoll Lay Missioners' work to empower human trafficking survivors in Cambodia.

• Read about Sister Janice McLaughlin's work against human trafficking in Zimbabwe. 

Act

• Explore this toolkit from the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference on how to speak out against human trafficking in your community. 

• Find out how you can avoid buying products that rely on the work of trafficked people or unpaid labor.