Participating around Australia and Beyond

ACRATH members around Australia have participated in events to mark the World Day of Prayer, Reflection and Action Against Human Trafficking. This day is held annually on 8th February, the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, a Sudan woman who was sold into slavery at a very young age.

On the vigil of the feast ACRATH members in Victoria participated in a Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. The Sudanese choir led the singing while school students joined a banner procession into the Cathedral.

In Sydney a number of NSW ACRATH members attended the Ethical Sourcing Seminar and Expo held at St Mary’s Cathedral Hall prior to attending Mass in Cathedral.

Present for the events in Rome was ACRATH member Sr Colleen Jackson. She joined with other representatives from Talitha Kum, the International Network of Consecrated Life Against Human Trafficking, in a vigil of prayer on the evening prior to the feast. The ritual included prayer, song, survivor testimonies, Pope Francis’ new video message on human trafficking, liturgical dance, the weaving of a web to represent our global cooperation to eliminate human trafficking. On the Sunday following the feast Colleen and Talitha Kum members participated in a march from Castel Sant’Angelo to St Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis spoke about the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking and led the vast crowd in prayer.