CHARLOTTE — Feb. 8 is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of victims of human trafficking, and a day the Church encourages people to spend reflecting on and praying for an end to human trafficking.
Pope Francis has called human trafficking an “open wound in the Body of Christ, in the body of all humanity.”
Born in Sudan in 1869, Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped and sold into slavery when she was 9. Eventually she was sold to an Italian diplomat and taken to Italy, where she was freed thanks to the Canossian Daughters of Charity. She then joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity and dedicated her life to sharing her testament of deliverance from slavery and comforting the poor and suffering until her death in 1947.
Learn more about St. Josephine Bakhita and find resources about this issue from Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Human Trafficking Awareness Committee online at www.ccdoc.org/humantrafficking and at www.justiceforimmigrants.org/stbakhita.
— Joe Purello
CHARLOTTE — The Knights of Columbus chapter at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish had nine entries win or place for the 15 spots in the regional "Keep Christ in Christmas" youth poster contest.
Participants were judged on slogan, visuals and overall impact. Four participants from Our Lady of Assumption Parish – Arleth Estrella Perez Salinas, Perla Galvan, Carlos Guzman and Nicole Vazquez – took top awards in several categories.
Six more participants – Khan Van Vu, Maya Rosales, Finner Woolard, Austin Beiryrao, David Shar and Mayze Comstock – received their certificates at Our Lady of the Assumption School’s final Mass before Christmas break.
Pictured above: (back row from left) Principal Tyler Kulp, Tim Tucker and Bill Sparger; (front row from left) Khan Van Vu, Maya Rosales, Austin Beiryrao, David Shar and Mayze Comstock.
— Troy Hull