Submitted News
TRIANGLE, Va. – In an effort to bring attention to the ever-increasing problem of human trafficking, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Triangle, Va., will offer human trafficking awareness presentations at the parish after all the Masses on the weekend of May 18-19, 2013.
There will be guest speakers, a video, handouts, and suggestions for direct ways to take action. Everyone is invited to this free event. The Masses are on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. (Spanish) and 5:30 p.m. The parish is located at 18825 Fuller Heights Road, Triangle, Va. 22172.
“It’s shocking how prevalent and complex human trafficking is and how it plagues our own communities in surprising ways,” said Fr. Kevin Downey, O.F.M., pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish. “The good news is, there are things we all can do to address it, to protect our children and to help those in need.”
The United Nations defines human trafficking as the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”
Statistics show that more than 27 million people in more than 161 countries are victims of human trafficking. Two hundred thousand of these are in the United States alone. Fifty percent of victims are children. Every two minutes, 14 people fall victim to this crime. Sex trafficking and forced labor are the most common forms of trafficking in the United States.
Prince William County, Fairfax, and Loudon are among Northern Virginia counties that have or are establishing Anti-Human Trafficking Alliances or Task Forces.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration’s Statement on Human Trafficking clearly outlines the Catholic Church’s teaching on human trafficking, noting, “Human trafficking is a horrific crime against the basic dignity and rights of the human person. All efforts must be expended to end it.”
The USCCB has been a leader in the U.S. and global response to human trafficking for more than a decade, and has even established an Anti-Trafficking Program within its Migration and Refugee Services Department to coordinate the response of the U.S. Church.
The event is sponsored by the parish’s Franciscan Action and Advocacy Council (FAAC).
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (www.stfrncis.org) is part of the Diocese of Arlington and was established in 1957 to serve the military community at Quantico Marine Base. For more information, contact the parish office at 703-221-4044.
