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
GREENSBORO — St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro held a parish-wide retreat in January led by well-known theologian, author and speaker Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (known on TV and radio as “Dr. Italy”).
The two-day event began Friday evening with a covered dish dinner, followed by D’Ambrosio’s keynote address, “How To Get More Out of Mass.” He challenged his audience to think about how Jesus is really present in the Eucharist and he offered real world, practical ways to “unlock the power of His presence so as to make each Mass a life-changing experience.”
Saturday began with a pancake breakfast hosted by the parish’s Knights of Columbus Council 13236. The day’s discussions were divided into adult sessions given by D’Ambrosio, and teen sessions given by D’Ambrosio’s twin sons, Anthony and Marcellino. Both young men are youth ministers, worship musicians and evangelizers. Grade school sessions, taught by parish staff, were also available.
Pictured: Anthony and Marcellino D’Ambrosio perform with members of St. Paul Church’s Youth Choir during the concluding Mass at a two-day retreat designed for the whole family. (Annette K. Tenny | Catholic News Herald)
D’Ambrosio started off by discussing “The Family as Domestic Church.” While this is a familiar theme to many Catholics, D’Ambrosio deepened the discussion with stories of the ups and downs of his own Catholic upbringing. As a father of five, he was also able to relate his and his wife’s experiences in the trials and joys of creating their own domestic church.
While parents and grandparents were getting tips on how to build their family church, the teens were listening to the D’Ambrosio twins share their faith challenges. Titled “Let Me Live: The Story of How God Walked Into My Grave and Called Me Up Into His Resurrection,” the young men spoke passionately about their personal conversions and the need to be open to the call of Holy Spirit. Developing a close relationship with Jesus Christ, they said, requires not just one act but countless actions each day. Life in Christ, they told their young audience is anything but passive.
In another session, D’Ambrosio encouraged parents and grandparents to keep lines of communication open and to talk to their kids about many subjects, not just religion.
It’s imperative to restore the “centrality of the table,” he said. Family relationships harden, he told them without frequent communication. Bring back the family dinner, at least one night a week. Make sure everyone contributes to the conversation, no matter the subject. Nourish yourself with scripture and sacraments and you will be able to nourish your family when the opportunity presents itself. Above all, he reminded the attendees, remain humble and have a sense of humor.
“Pray for your family, pray for what they need,” he said, “not for what you want.”
D’Ambrosio said he hoped retreat participants would walk away with two things: excitement and inspiration that there is “more than what they’ve experienced so far in their Catholic life,” and “…one practical suggestion where they can change the pattern of their life.” Whether it’s the way they pray, the way they approach the Eucharist or confession, he said he hoped they left with a practical way to change the way they live their faith.
In other programs during the retreat, Anthony and Marcellino D’Ambrosio and the parish’s youth ministry encouraged teens to see the saints through a new lens, as well as to see how God is already working in their lives.
The retreat at St. Paul Parish was a pleasure, D’Ambrosio said, as he and his sons don’t often travel and minister together. The parish asked specifically for all of them.
“The twins’ ministry has evolved into parish consultation, writing and producing film and digital evangelization content,” he noted.
They also have a music worship ministry and with a younger brother and other band members, travel to conferences.
D’Ambrosio’s ministry is evolving as well. After many years of parish, radio and television evangelization, he’s feeling called to write more but also to produce podcasts and short video teaching, on You Tube, for example.
“I’m looking forward to working with the twins on new projects and new ways of evangelizing,” he said.
— Annette K. Tenny, correspondent