BELMONT — The Sisters of Mercy and Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte hosted a service Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, to pray for an end to human trafficking.
The public and the sisters gathered together at the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel to pay homage to the patron saint of Sudan, held captive as a slave, suffering torture and abuse. The service was led by Catholic Charities’ Respect Life Program Director Jessica Grabowski; Tammy Harris, Respect Life coordinator at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte; Deacon Chip Wilson from Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont; Joseph Purello, Catholic Charities’ director of Social Concerns and Advocacy; and Mercy Sister Rose Marie Tresp, director of justice for the sisters’ South Central Community.
“We came together as a community to pray for an end to human trafficking and for the victims of trafficking on this important day,” Grabowski said. “Trafficking is a human life and dignity issue, as it devalues human life in a way that hurts not only all those involved in the trafficking industry but the social and economical pillars of our society. Here at Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte we are working to raise awareness of this issue, call for more prayer, and collaborate with other community organizations who are actively fighting this issue and protecting victims who have been trafficked.”
Pictured: A Feb. 8 service to pray for the end to human trafficking was led by Catholic Charities’ Respect Life Program Director Jessica Grabowski; Tammy Harris, Respect Life coordinator at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte; Joseph Purello, Catholic Charities’ director of Social Concerns and Advocacy; Mercy Sister Rose Marie Tresp, director of justice for the sisters’ South Central Community; and Deacon Chip Wilson from Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont.(Lisa Geraci |Catholic News Herald)
The service was filled with intentional prayerful silences, a reading of Psalm 126, a biography of St. Bakhita, and recitation of the “Prayer for an End to Human Trafficking” by Catholic Relief Services.
Mouths recited the prayer beginning with the line, “Oh God, we didn’t see them...”
This sentiment might ring true for many people, but Harris, development director at Redeeming Joy (a faith-based non-profit that ministers to female sex-trafficking victims), knows all too well that the problem of human trafficking in Charlotte is not hard to find.
“This population is being overlooked,” Harris said. “We need to focus on them and give them aid. If there is a marginalized population that is ignored, we (the Church) have an obligation to serve them.”
With eyes shut, attendees continued praying, “But you (God) did...”
Attendee Kara Griffin recalled the moment when she saw Pope Francis hug a prostitute and told her, “Today I ask for forgiveness from all of you, for all Christians and Catholics that abused you, and forgiveness from me for not praying enough for you and this slavery.”
“I cried. It was one of the most beautiful things I ever saw,” she said.
Fingers clasped in prayer as the next lines of the prayer echoed off the chapel’s arched ceiling: “The hundreds and thousands of human beings trafficked each year to join the millions who are trapped in modern-day slavery...”
Contrary to most assumptions, trafficking is a problem here in the United States, not just abroad. Harris explained, “Charlotte is the 10th-largest sex trafficking hub in the country. No city wants to admit they have a sex trafficking problem. Yet, in 2016, the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified approximately 2,700 victims of trafficking in North Carolina. Unfortunately, these estimates are underrepresenting the reality of the severe situation, since a lot of cases go unreported or undercharged.”
The crowd continued in prayer: “Under terrible conditions, they work in factories, plow fields, harvest crops, work quarries, fill brothels, clean homes, and haul water...”
Sister Rose Marie Tresp noted, “Most of us don’t realize how much we benefit from human slavery, as what we buy is very cheap but due to modern-day slavery.”
The prayer went on to describe: “Many are children with tiny fingers for weaving rugs and small shoulders for bearing rifles...”
Harris pointed out, “The average age of entry into sex trafficking is 12 to 14 years old. On average, the lifespan of a victim of sex trafficking is seven years, due to the violent nature of this crime. Foster children, homeless children, kids from broken homes, and kids with learning disabilities are high-risk potential victims.”
Looking up at a beaten and bloody Jesus on the crucifix, attendees continued to pray: “Their labor is forced, their bodies beaten, their faces hidden from those who don’t really want to see them...”
Harris described a harsh reality for trafficking victims, many of whom “can be anyone’s little girl or boy.”
“Most of these girls have been beaten to a pulp, raped over 20 times a night, and some have seen people killed with their own eyes. It is a lot easier to see trafficking if we imagine: ‘Oh, that girl was kidnapped and thrown in a truck.’ It is a lot harder to see grooming as: ‘Oh, little Suzie has an inappropriate relationship with someone on Facebook and he is not really in California, he is down the street, and he is not really 17, he is 20.’ It is a lot harder to see that path that this child is going down. Perpetrators will typically spend nine months grooming a young girl into the life of sex trafficking.”
Eyes started opening in prayer: “But you see them all, God of the poor. You hear their cry and you answer...”
These Catholics know God and have seen miracles.
“By opening our eyes, and breaking our hearts...” they prayed.
“We need to change our mindset,” Harris said. “We really need to wrap our heads around the fact that they are all victims. Pope Francis asked the prostitute for her forgiveness. This is a really good model for us Catholics. We don’t have a right to shame. We never walked a day in their shoes; we don’t know what they endured.”
They ended in prayer: “And loosening our tongues to insist: No mas. No more. Amen.”
— Lisa Geraci, Correspondent
Come learn more about how to combat human trafficking
CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church will host a Forum on Human Trafficking starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 11, in New Life Center Room 239/240/241.
FBI Special Agent Karen Walsh, a St. Matthew parishioner, will talk about the realities of human trafficking in Charlotte.
Walsh will share tips on how to operate safely in today’s world of social media, how to identify the signs of human trafficking, and how to obtain help if you suspect someone is being trafficked.
Father Christopher Bond will speak about the messages from Pope Francis and the U.S. Catholic Bishops about the dangers of human trafficking and why we, as faithful Catholics, cannot just close our eyes to this modern form of slavery.
Lanie George, a survivor of human trafficking, who serves as the executive director of Redeeming Joy, a local non-profit aiding victims of human trafficking, will also share her experiences.
St. Matthew Church is located at 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. in Charlotte.
For details, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— Catholic News Herald