Human Trafficking, a Ritual shared by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word

to inaugurate our Corporate Stance

http://www.amormeus.org/english/index.php
Prepared by Sister Martha Ann Kirk (kirk@uiwtx.edu) from various sources,
especially Global Sisters Report
Some parts of this ritual were used to inaugurate the Incarnate Word Congregations Corporate
Stance Against Human Trafficking, May 27, 2015, by Webstream from Peru with Sisters in
Mexico, Ireland, Peru, the U.S., and Zambia participating. You are welcome to adapt this and use
it for groups, such as Associates or schools, or to use it for personal prayer.
Background preparation: We have created a prayer card about St. Josephine Bahkita, the patron
saint of the movement against trafficking and all are encouraged to pray this often.
http://www.usccb.org/about/migration-and-refugee-services/national-migrationweek/upload/M7-266-Josephine-Bakhita-Prayer-Card.pdf
Please have a candle in the center, a strip of paper (about one or two inches wide and 8 inches
long) and a pencil for each person, some tape, and an open heart. If you can get a piece of chain
(or make a chain out of paper), you might want to put it in a circle around the candle to remind
us of the chains of human slavery. If you can, please prepare by learning about St. Josephine
Bahkita. At the bottom, there are recommended resources and films.

Praying Against Human Trafficking

We invite you to hold up the chain. (Someone holds up the chain so that it can be seen.)
What is it like to be held in chains? (pause) Sometimes peoples bodies are not in chains, but
they are held in chains of desperate poverty. They are held in chains of fear. They are in
psychological chains because of lack of self-esteem.
Religious leaders have launched a new website and it is called a-light-against-humantrafficking.info Let us light our candles as a symbol that each of us wants to be a light against
human trafficking. (Light the candle and put the chain in a circle around the candle.)

In the biblical tradition, the innocent lamb is a victim which is sacrificed. Jesus became the
Lamb of God, the victim who was sacrificed. Let us prepare ourselves to pray with the victims
of human trafficking who are sacrificed by greed, sacrificed by lust, sacrificed by selfishness . . .
Let us sing and pray the Multilingual Lamb of God. The words have been written for us in
Spanish, Quechua (Peru), SiLozi (Zambia), English, and Latin. May we unite across our cultures
to stop modern day slavery.

(If you would like to hear the melody, it can be heard in other languages.
http://mp3skull.mp3searchscript.com/sjt-choir-lamb-of-god-mp3-download.html )
Yes, we pray, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Guide us
to recognize and to hear the victims crying out. Guide us to know your mercy and to share your
mercy.
Let us remember St. Josephine Bahkita was born in Sudan in 1869, the year our congregation
was founded. When she was about nine years old she was kidnapped and forced to be a slave.
Bakhita was often beaten and was sold a number of times. Eventually she was bought by Italians
and was serving a family in Italy. When the father had some business in another country, he left
the daughter at a boarding school with the Canossian Sisters. Bakhita was left to be the slave or
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servant of daughter. After sometime the father returned and wanted to bring both his daughter
and her slave or servant back to his house.
Bakhita had been learning of God. She had felt a sense of the Creator, but she had not really
learned of God before. She did not want to leave the house of the Canossian Sisters. The father
went to court holding that Bakhita was his property and must come with him. Though Bakhita
had been treated as a servant, the Sisters slowly seemed to have a growing sense of her human
dignity. They asked church authorities to work with them and appeal for Bakhita in the court.
Finally the Italian court ruled that slavery was illegal in their country. She had actually had a
right to freedom since she arrived in Italy. Bakhita had not realized her dignity and her right.
Sometimes people trapped in slavery need a transformation within first.
Bakhita lived with the Sisters for some years. She asked to be accepted into the community and
in 1893 became a Sister. She was known for her gentleness and kindness. She worked
extensively to help the poor and the sick and died in 1947.
Since the early 2000s, Sisters aware of people suffering through human trafficking have been
asking church authorities to speak out more. Finally, this past January, in Rome, the feast day of
St. Josephine Bakhita was proclaimed the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against
Human Trafficking. Pope Francis has called trafficking a modern "crime against humanity." It is
hurting about 25 million people. Let us pray:

We unite with Sisters around the world, the universal church, and people of good will. We have
taken a corporate stance. Now we must educate ourselves, pray, and consider the many different
ways that we can act.
Let us have an examination of consciousness. You are invited to close your eyes and reflect.
Let us consider how we can help change the DEMAND for human slavery.
Do you use a cell phone, a laptop, a DVD player? Probably slave labor was involved in the
manufacture of these.
Do you drink coffee, eat chocolate, enjoy cinnamon spice? Probably slave labor was involved in
growing or in harvesting these.
Do you know where your clothes were made? Do you know where your shoes were made?
How could you get more information about these things? How could you deliberately make
choices about what you wear?
We pray that God may help us to educate ourselves and live in better ways.**
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. We are part of the sins of
the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Webstream Gathering, more information was given about the Corporate Stance itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Closing of the Prayer
Let us quietly reflect how we might participate in our Incarnate Word movement against human
slavery. Then you will be invited to write what you will do on one of the strips of paper. After
that we will tape a strip in a circle like the link of a chain, then we will join the next strip, and the
next . . . (Hold up a strip of paper, take tape and show how to do this. Then add another link.)
We will break the chains of slavery by linking together in a chain of united action.
Let us each reflect. What type of thing could I do?
Will I daily pray the prayer on the card with St. Josephine Bahkita?
Will I join other IW Sisters in our monthly writing action. We will get information on how to
write a letter or an e-mail or sign a petition against some aspect of trafficking once a month.
Will I begin to find out where my food comes from and how to be sure that those producing it
are treated justly?
Will I volunteer time to help those in our city educating others about trafficking?
Will I participate in the 72 days of prayer with a short reflection for each day? (Here is a link to
read those: http://cdn4.aheartforjustice.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/08/72DailyPrayerPoints.pdf
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Will I begin to find out where my clothing comes from and how to be sure that those producing it
are treated justly?
Will I volunteer time to help rehabilitate people who have been harmed by trafficking?
What will I do? . . . We invite you to write, we invite you to tape your papers together. Allow
some timeor if there is not enough time, then just say this:
We have prayed, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. We know that God is with us, we will
unite with each other, and in the strength of the Risen Christ, we sing in confidence, Alleluia. .

**Background on Educating Ourselves about Slave Labor

To get more information about How many slaves work for you? Take the on-line quiz
http://slaveryfootprint.org
There is a growing movement to invite companies to join Made in a Free World.
http://madeinafreeworld.com/ This means that we ask companies to find out where the products
are from, to find out if the workers are treated justly. The companies can be leaders showing
respect for human dignity. They can win respect and praise for this.

Background Resources on St. Josephine Bahkita

Some recommended information on St. Josephine Bahkita for English speakers:
http://globalsistersreport.org/column/horizons/trafficking/bakhita-resistance-and-solidarity19436
A fourteen minute film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vYh8YR_Ons
A two and a half hour Italian movie with English subtitles, inspiring if you have time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=W9tuAoEL7RE&list=PLQNod5iUioCRMoz3qu5UDRpI1QmiBMwHU
Some recommended information for Spanish speakers:
-Bakhita: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK3OFTn1I1M
Pas: Italia Ao: 2009
Duracin<https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=trade+pelicula+duraci
%C3%B3n&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGOovnz8BQMDgyYHnxCnfq6-QXZZcnKWllR2spVWmZOLpiwKirNy8vMS1coycxNfc5iMz1-vdL8LXd3icxNl5m_rzxFQCiceTjRgAAAA&sa=X&ei=25BSVdrpC4SmNpi3gOgF&ved=0CJEBEOgTKAAwGA
>: 210 minutos

Background of THE INCARNATE WORD SISTERS CORPORATE STANCE

AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
As the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, we remember the words
of our Constitutions: The mission of the Congregation is to actualize the saving and healing
love of the Incarnate Word by promoting human dignity.
We affirm the dignity and rights of all people and denounce human trafficking and the economic
and social systems that promote it.
We support programs and initiatives that:
-Educate and motivate groups to take effective action towards the elimination of human
trafficking.
-Promote equitable and sustainable development and that eliminate extreme poverty.
-Rescue, rehabilitate, and reintegrate into society victims of human trafficking.
We oppose practices:
-That take advantage of people while seeking wealth and/or pleasure.
-That destroy the environment, thus eliminating possible opportunities for income and
contributing to forced migration
We recognize that in order to end the crime of human trafficking, we all need to work
together. In particular, countries have the responsibility to guarantee the respect of human
dignity and human rights of all people. For that reason, we as a Congregation should unite
ourselves and other people and groups in order to:
-Eliminate the root causes of human trafficking as well as the markets which make it
profitable.
-Help the victims of human trafficking to recover and to thrive in mind, body, and spirit.
We commit ourselves to actions such as
these:
Pray for victims of human trafficking and their families.
Incorporate the struggle against human trafficking into our community goals,
projects, and institutions.
Strengthen the knowledge and capacity of members of the Congregation in order to
build a culture of protecting and promoting human rights.
Establish a communal or institutional budget to support initiatives against human
trafficking. Support and encourage people who are interested in working on this topic.
Share information through workshops and campaigns so that more members can learn
about this topic and participate.
Educate ourselves about the organizations working against human trafficking in each
country so that we can collaborate with them
Participate in or join networks and other organizations focused on human
trafficking.
Participate in or organize educational activities about how to prevent human
trafficking on a local.
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Organize talks/speakers and/or conferences on this topic in our schools and

hospitals.
Keep ourselves informed as to what is happening in the cities in which we live and
minister in regard to human trafficking.
Share experiences and personal knowledge about human trafficking through our
blog:
www.saccvi.blogspot.com and in other
ways.
Learn about and share information about the work being done by LCWR, CIRM,
CONFER, ACWECA and other organizations and NGOs through our blog:
www.saccvi.blogspot.com and/or in other ways.

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Stand Against Human Trafficking
Most of us would not walk into a store and shop lift, but most of us would walk into a store and
buy a shirt that was a good price, NOT seeking any information about the treatment of the people
making this shirt. Were they exploited as slave labor? Our action is as bad as shoplifting. What
will it take for people to broaden their sense of ethics to the invisible stealing from exploited
people who are making things for them and serving them?
The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio, Texas, with members and ministries
in Ireland, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Zambia are taking a Corporate Stance Against
Human Trafficking committing themselves to education and advocacy and inviting others to join
them.
Since 2000 Catholic Sisters, who have seen close up the suffering and injustice of people trapped
in prostitution and exploited as laborers, have urged church leadership to more adamantly focus
on trafficking. Leaders of Sisters from around the world formed Talitha Kum
http://www.talithakum.info/ The International Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking.
In light of this background, Catholic officials are now doing more and this year Pope Francis
spoke strongly against modern day slavery at a gathering of interfaith leaders at the Vatican.
When he signed the Faith Leaders Universal Declaration against Slavery, he sat between the
Venerable Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong, a Buddhist woman leader, and Amma (Sri Mata
Amritanandamayi Devi), a Hindu woman leader. Considering that most of the victims of
trafficking are women and children, women leaders of various faiths and Catholic Sisters are
committed to transforming violent global economic systems to humane, just, and compassionate
ones.
Incarnate Word Sisters sponsor an extensive network of educational and health care institutions
and are calling on all as groups and as individuals to consider How many slaves work for
you? http://slaveryfootprint.org/ . The problem involves about 27 million exploited people, but
each of us can help lessen the demand for slavery.

The Incarnate Word Sisters with their international network are among people exploited as
victims of trafficking and are also among those in the U.S. who benefit from cheap labor. Our
founding call in 1869 was to respond to those who were suffering. We must respond to the
suffering caused by human trafficking today. Join us.