BOSTON, MA: On Sunday, January 10, 2010, local Catholic Sisters representing sixteen congregations in the Greater Boston area hosted a gathering to commemorate the third annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Over 130 sisters, associates, co-workers, friends, and family joined in a prayer vigil for an end to the sin of modern-day slavery. A resolution passed by the US Senate on June 22, 2007, has forever marked January 11th as a day of awareness and vigilance for the countless victims of Human Trafficking across the globe. In June 2009 Pope Benedict XVI lauded the commitment made by women religious to put a stop to human trafficking and rebuild the lives of those victimized by this phenomenon. On January 4, 2010, President Obama proclaimed January 2010 as national Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
This prayer vigil, coordinated by the Anti-Trafficking Coalition of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious [LCWR] – Boston Unit is one of a number of events sponsored by the coalition over the past several years. The goal of the Anti-Trafficking Coalition [ATC] is to raise awareness of the reality of human trafficking both locally and globally and to alert concerned people of good will about how individuals can make a difference in eradicating human trafficking. Roman Catholic women religious have been key leaders in the national and international movement to stop human trafficking. In the past two years the Boston area ATC has sponsored two symposia attended by well over 200 participants who want to be part of the initiative to end this crime against humanity. Another symposium addressing the issue of Human Trafficking is planned for April, 24, 2010.
Here are several links to articles that appeared locally about the prayer vigil:
The Pilot
The Allston-Brighton Tab
CSJ - Press Release
