Praying, Living, & Loving the Franciscan Way
Human Trafficking is a relevant issue plaguing the streets of the world, the country, and even Milwaukee. It is a topic that members of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi believe needs to be paid attention to and educated about to the population. Some 60 people gathered February 7, 2015 for a program sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi Trafficking Committee. Prayer was invoked in the name of the newly recognized patron saint of those trafficked: St. Josephine Bakhita, an African woman, first enslaved as a child and later in Italy. Upon learning of Christ and being assisted by an Italian order of sisters: The Canossian Daughters of Charity, she became a convert to Catholicism and a sister. In this role she was able to assist many oppressed persons, understanding their suffering. She died in 1947. The guest speaker, Simona Verona Botezatu, Immigration Minister of Catholic Charities, San Bernardino , CA, Simona Verona Botezatu, offered a basic outline of what trafficking is and what motivates the crime. She gave further insight into the legal aspects of trafficking and how the law deals with the victims. Her personal account of having lived with women who were trying to transition from enslavement was dramatic. One realized just how nearly insurmountable it is to change patterns of fear, addiction and mistrust that the perpetrators use to entrap their victims. Two videos were presented, one of a local Oshkosh WI woman whose drink was drugged. She was transported to Milwaukee and later up and down the Fox Valley as a prostitute. She is now in recovery and intends to use her experience to help other victims. A second video alerted us to the Saudi Princes and camel racing for money and pleasure. There 3 year old boys, weighing no more than 50 pounds are strapped to camels as tiny jockeys. The children were purchased for $500.00 from poor families and live in fear, oppression and filth while the camels are worth millions and live in luxury, including a swimming pool in the desert. Photos are no longer permitted of the sport as some in the western world have objected. The Sisters’ Trafficking Committee offered a summary of what is occurring on the topic in the Milwaukee area, ways to work against the situation, and the fact that Milwaukee is a hub of this activity, so well located on freeways between Chicago and Minneapolis. A closing prayer for the victims and those who work to help them recover from trauma concluded the gathering.
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