January 10, 2013 - South Central Community Sisters of Mercy

enews 

WeeKLy COMMuNiCATiON FROM SOuTH CeNTRAL’S COMMuNiTy LeADeRSHip 

January 10, 2013 

HigHligHts 

in Memoriam 

Sister Mary Clarita Roettker 

dies peacefully after 

a long decline in Cincinnati, 

Ohio, and Sister Mary 

Clotilda Toelle, age 100, 

dies in Oklahoma City, 

Oklahoma. 

Vocations promotion? 

What activities have you 

planned for National Vocations 

Awareness Week? 

Modern day slavery 

Support efforts to end 

human trafficking. 

Calendar 

January 21 

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Holiday; Mercy Administration 

Center in Belmont 

closed 

Sisters of Mercy – 

South Central Community 

101 Mercy Drive 

Belmont, NC 28012-2898 

704.829.5260 

www.mercysc.org 

Click on the icons below to follow 

the Sisters of Mercy on Facebook 

and Twitter. 

Are we more burned out than on fire? 

And a voice came from heaven, 

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 

God is speaking to each of us, “you are my beloved.” 

Living as the beloved of God 

is at the heart of our Gospelbased 

spirituality. 

The Fifth institute Chapter Declaration 

calls us to “deepen and 

make evident our Gospel-based 

spirituality.” What does this 

look like? in a society prone to 

overwork, do we act as though 

our faith is in frenetic activity? 

Do we appear more burned out 

than on fire? 

Lk 3:22 Baptism of Jesus 

The New year gives us an 

opportunity to start anew. it 

isn’t necessary to change our 

entire life, but to take a single step toward greater balance. Catherine McAuley 

invites us to develop a rhythm of prayer and service. Can we take seriously her 

exhortation to dance every evening? Can we make time for an activity that will 

bring greater balance to our lives? Can believing that we are beloved permit us to 

take time from doing to spend some time be-ing? What might bring us joy? 

you are the beloved of God. 

May we come to believe this so deeply that our lives radiate the joy of the Gospel 

to all we meet.

In Memoriam 

Sister Mary Clarita 

Roettker died peacefully 

on Friday, January 4, 

2013, following a gradual 

decline at McAuley Convent 

in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

She was 93 years old and 

a Sister of Mercy for 75 

years. 

For much of her ministry, 

she served as a 

teacher and a principal at 


elementary schools in the 

Cincinnati Archdiocese. 

She also taught theology at McAuley High School for 

more than a quarter of a century. 

Sister Mary Clarita served as the sacristain at McAuley 

Convent for 40 years and also handled the duties of 

receptionist and coordinated transportation. She was 

a woman of deep spirituality and a simple way of life. 

An extended obituary for Sister Mary Clarita Roettker 

is attached to today’s enews. 

Sister Mary Clotilda Toelle 

Sister Mary Clotilda 

Toelle died peacefully at 

Mercy Health Center Convent 

in Oklahoma City, 

Oklahoma, on Friday, 

January 4, 2013. 

She was a joyful Sister 

of Mercy for 82 years 

and celebrated her 100th 

birthday in June with 

enthusiasm when her 

long life attracted the 

attention of local media. 

She was a devoted teacher and principal at Catholic 

schools in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, and a number 

of her former students and their parents followed 

her until the day of her death. 

An extended obituary of Sister Mary Clotilda Toelle is 

attached to today’s enews. 

2 | January 10, 2013 

Sister reminders 

MediCare d UPdates 

Sisters, here are some important updates about our 

new Medicare D prescription drug coverage through 

unitedHealthcare: 

• The name on your eBpA medical debit card matches 

your name in our South Central records, and we ask 

that you please sign it with the name shown on the 

front of the card. your signature on the debit card 

does not need to match your Medicare card or your 

Medicare D unitedHealthcare/AARp member card. 

please note that this is a correction from the “Frequently 

Asked Questions” you received recently, 

and we apologize for any confusion. 

• if you need to contact OptumRx about ordering 

maintenance medicines by mail, the toll-free number 

is 877.896.2765. 

• Medicare D will only cover the cost of prescriptions 

purchased in the united States and its territories, 

so be sure to take your regular medications with 

you if you travel to a foreign country. if you need a 

prescription while you’re out of the country, larger 

pharmacies might accept your eBpA medical debit 

card. if not, please use your Fifth Third credit card 

and ask for a receipt to submit to the Finance 

Department for reimbursement. 

Thank you. 

Vocation Awareness 

Week starts Sunday 

Vocation Awareness Week is January 13-19, 2013. 

Downloadable planning kits that provide a wealth 

of information are available in english and Spanish 

from the the uSA Council of Serra international. 

Thanks to all who are planning vocation activities 

during that week. 

To download the packet in english, click on the blue 

words below: 

Vocation events—english 

To download in Spanish, click on the blue words below: 

Vocation events—spanish

Justice update 

JanUarY is natiOnal slaVerY and HUMan 

traFFiCKing MOntH 

Human trafficking is the third largest crime in the 

world and one of the fastest growing. Worldwide, children 

under 18 represent 26 percent of the victims. 

people are sold into modern day slavery for labor and 

sex services, and events such as the Super Bowl that 

draw large crowds provide venues for the trafficking of 

our brothers and sisters. 

Sister Rose Weidenbenner is a co-chair of a committee 

of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious 

that is collaborating with city officials and law enforcement 

agencies regarding human trafficking in the 

hotel industry prior to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, 

Louisiana, in February. 

please support the anti-trafficking effort through 

prayer, education and action. Attached to today’s 

enews, you’ll find: 

• printable prayer cards of Saint Josephine Bakhita, 

who was sold into slavery as a child, 

• A prayer service for human trafficking awareness. 

• Audio-visual resources about human tracking that 

you can borrow from the South Central Audio Visual 

Library. 

Honor among thieves 

Sister Lauren Cole “steals” Sister Eileen Pistor’s present at a 

“white elephant gift exchange” during an Epiphany party on 

January 6, 2013. The party was held at Sister Lauren’s home in 

Nashville, Tennessee. Who says nuns don’t have fun? 

Sisters cast off on a 

‘three-hour’ tour to 

celebrate their Jubilees 

On Saturday, October 6, 2012, Sister Martha Milner (left), 

50th Jubliee, and Sister Janice Kaiser, 25th Jubilee, invited Mercy 

sisters, family, associates, and friends to celebrate with them on a 

three-hour boat tour of the Mississippi Sound. The celebration was 

centered on the gifts of the sea including a prayer service focusing 

on the qualities of the species that live in the local waters. 

Don’t miss the fall issue 

of MercyMatters 

Don’t miss the winter 

2013 issue of MercyMatters, 

the staff newsletter 

for our South Central 

Community. you’ll find it 

on our Community website 

here. 

MercyMatters 

Newsletter for the staff of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – South Central Community Winter 2013 

What’s inside 

2 Small lifestyle changes 

mean a healthier heart 

Heart disease is the number one 

killer of women, putting 83 percent 

of South Central employees 

at risk based on gender alone. 

3 Bistro chicken, a delicious, 

heart healthy treat 

This recipe from Presbyterian 

Healthcare’s cookbook Seasons 

of the Heart has only 240 calories 

and 6 grams of fat. 

4 St. Catherine Convent 

Sisters and staff celebrate Mercy 

and Kentucky traditions in Louisville, 

Kentucky. 

5 Exercise is a key factor to 

staying fit and healthy 

For some South Central staff 

members, lunchtime is the 

perfect time to work in a little 

exercise. 

6 Going green 

An emphasis on recycling and 

eliminating the use of bottled 

water has taken hold throughout 

the South Central Community. 

7 Employee reminders 

8 A fond farewell to our retirees 

We wish all the best to these three 

employees who recently retired 

from the South Central Community. 

MercyMatters is a publication of the Human Resources 

Department and the Communications Department. 

Today’s attachments 

Staff member works for FEMA 

in aftermath of Sandy 

When Jim Townsend takes a couple of 

days of paid time off (PTO), he and his in Plainfield, 

family frequently head south to their New Jersey, and 

favorite vacation spot in Florida. to submit reports along 

But when he requested PTO November 

5–7, he drove north by himself instead, 

straight into the path of devastation 

Superstorm Sandy had left in the northeastern 

United States just days earlier. 

On very short notice, Jim served as 

a contracted inspector for the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency, more 

commonly known as FEMA. His assignment 

was to inspect damaged homes 

Jim Townsend with the FEMA 

computer tablet he used to 

submit inspection reports and 

photographs of damage from 

Superstorm Sandy in Plainfield, 

New Jersey. 

with photographs to FEMA so the 

agency could determine if homeowners 

were eligible for federal assistance. 

Jim first applied to be a FEMA inspector 

about four years ago, before he joined 

the Sisters of Mercy – South Central 

Community as director of property, 

insurance and risk management in 2009. 

His day-to-day job with Mercy requires 

Jim Townsend continued on page 3 

• Directory changes for January 10, 2013. 

• extended obituary of Sister Mary Clarita Roettker. 

• extended obituary of Sister Mary Clotilda Toelle. 

• prayer cards of Saint Josephine Bakhita. 

• A prayer service for human trafficking awareness. 

• Audio-visual resources about human trafficking in 

the South Central Audio Visual Library. 

January 10, 2013 | 3

Directory Changes – January 10, 2013 

First Name Last Name Correction Section Page(s)* New Information 

Debbie-Ann Chambers New candidate Sisters 51 

Mercy Josephine Gakuha New candidate Sisters 70 

Sr. Marie 

Elizabeth 

Koehler 

New residence and 

ministry 

Sisters 92 

Sr. Marion Mordica New residence Sisters 107 

Mt. Mercy Convent 

2 Widcombe Road, P.O. Box #1 

Kingston, Jamaica WI, 6 

Jamaica, W I 

876 -927- 4858 (h) 

876 -887- 9511 (mobile) 

dchambers@mercysc.org 

Mt. Mercy Convent 

2 Widcombe Road, P.O. Box #1 

Kingston, Jamaica WI, 6 

Jamaica, W I 

876-927-4858 (h) 

876-509-9612 (mobile) 

mgakuha@mercysc.org 

St. John's Convent 

1330 E. Cherokee St. 

Springfield, MO 65804-2263 

417-882-1297 (home) 

Bereavement Coordinator 

Mercy Hospital, Springfield 

1235 E. Cherokee Street 

Springfield, MO 65804-2263 

417-820-7520 

elizabeth.koehler@mercy.net 

St. Catherine’s Village 

200 Dominican Drive, Apt # 5108 

Madison, MS 39110-8630 

601-707- 3154


Sr. Mary Clarita Roettker Remove listing Sisters 127 RIP 1/4/2013 

Sr. Mary Clotilda Toelle Remove listing Sisters 143 RIP 1/4/2013 

Sr. Rose Marie Weidenbenner New ministry Sisters 149 

Sr. Amelia Zepeda 

New mobile phone 

Remove home 

telephone 

Sisters 155 

Camille Atwood New Associate Associates 158 

Ty Barnes New Associate Associates 159 

Michael Boes New Associate Associates 160 

Management Assistant 

Multi-Family Property Management 

5557 Canal Blvd 

New Orleans, LA 70124 

504-343-5181 

Delete: 314-566-0514 

New mobile: 314-541-5786 

198 Woodbine Drive 

Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180 

601-636-2439 (h) 

601-955-9135( mobile) 

camilleatwood@cablelynx.com 

9713 Northwoods Forest Drive 

Charlotte, NC 28214 

980-224-9683 (h) 

704-771-3525 (mobile) 

tybarnes5@gmail.com 

1305 University Walk Circle 

Apt 201A 

Charlotte, NC 28213 

704-900-4589 (mobile) 

boes28@yahoo.com


Elizabeth (Betty) Cox New Associate Associates 167 

S. Louise Gregory New email Associates 176 

Karen Harrison New Associate Associates 177 

Mary Jordan New Associate Associates 183 

Mary Nell McMaster New Associate Associates 190 

Hilda Moeller New Associate Associates 192 

4011 Ranch Road 

Johnson City, TN 37601 

423-282-8890 

emc114@juno.com 

slgregory2588@att.net 

112 Summerhill Drive 


601-397-7879 (mobile) 

karenleaharrison@gmail.com 

115 Beechnut Street 

F10 

Johnson City, TN 37601 

423-283-4250 

jordanm@mail.etsu.edu 

106 Southall Drive 


601-636-8522 

1529 Lakeside Drive 


601-638-8783 (h) 

601-529-6119 (mobile) 

hildamoeller@bellsouth.net 

Anna Mae Schultz Remove listing Associates 205 Inactive effective 1/3/13

Will we all meet in heaven? 

O what joy even to think of it. 


Religious Sister of Mercy 

January 11, 1919 – January 4, 2013 

3+# 

Catherine McAuley 

Sister Mary Clarita Roettker was born as Jane Elizabeth Roettker in Cincinnati, 

Ohio, on January 11, 1919, to Bernard Roettker and Mary Stueve. She had a 

brother, Robert Roettker and a sister, Irma Swis, who both preceded her in death. 

Entering the Sisters of Mercy in 1937, Sister Mary Clarita was one of the last sisters 

to make her novitiate in Dubuque, Iowa. She was a graduate of the Athenaeum 

of Ohio and earned her master’s degree from Catholic University of America. 

During her ministry, she was a teacher and a principal at many of the elementary 

schools in the Cincinnati Archdiocese. In 1965 she began teaching theology at 

McAuley High School and taught there until 1991. 

At McAuley, Sister Mary Clarita had the reputation for maintaining the cleanest 

classroom. For many years she was involved in a Saturday morning program teaching 

religion to physically challenged children, and students appreciated her non-judgmental 

manner. The teachers enjoyed having meals with her because she was a good conversationalist 

and never gossiped about students. 

The sisters who ministered at the schools where Sister Mary Clarita was 

principal described her as kind and supportive.

She was the sacristan at McAuley Convent in Cincinnati for nearly 40 years. 

She had definite ideas about many things related to the chapel but never forced 

her opinion on anyone. She may roll her eyes, but if she didn’t like something, she 

went along with what others wanted—with one major exception. Sister Mary Clarita 

didn’t like having a lot of flowers around. If an arrangement was the slightest bit 

past prime, it ended up in the trash. 

In addition to serving as the sacristan during her retirement, Sister Mary Clarita 

also served as receptionist, coordinated transportation and held numerous other 

jobs that no one knew of until she could not do them. She was in chapel praying by 

4:30 every morning and had already accomplished several of those tasks. 

Sister Mary Clarita knew that her family would provide her with anything she 

wanted but once she took the vow of poverty, she accumulated nothing. She said it 

would be easy for her to want nice things but that was not the life she had chosen. 

Hers was such a simple life that many who were new to the house could not figure 

out whether there was anyone living in her bedroom. 

Sister Mary Clarita was devoted to her family. For many years she ate dinner with 

them every Sunday and would go on vacation with them in the summer. Sisters at 

the convent were never allowed to acknowledge her birthday, but her family decided 

to gather and celebrate last year. 

The past few years Sister Mary Clarita had been waiting to die. She knew she 

was ready and she was just waiting for God to call her home. About three or four 

years ago, she would not get a full-sized tube of toothpaste, only accept a travel size 

because she was concerned that she wouldn’t live long enough to use a larger tube. 

More than anything Sister Mary Clarita was a woman of faith and conviction. She 

was committed to what she believed was right or wrong for her. She had a deep 

spirituality, a simple way of life. Maybe this is what God wants of all of us. 

Funeral Mass: Wednesday, January 9, 2013, McAuley Convent, Cincinnati, Ohio 

Date of Interment: Thursday, January 10, 2013, St. Joseph Cemetery, 

Cincinnati, Ohio

Will we all meet in heaven? 

O what joy even to think of it. 

Sister Mary Clotilda Toelle 

Religious Sister of Mercy 

June 27, 1912 – January 4, 2013 

3+# 

Catherine McAuley 

Leona Lucille Marie was born to George Toelle of O’Fallon, Missouri and Ursula Orf 

Toelle of Dardenne of Prairie, Missouri, on June 27, 1912, and she happily related 

that she was baptized the next day. In this loving family that included eight children, 

she was the fourth daughter. 

When Leona was 4 years old she and her family moved to Sulphur, Oklahoma, and 

then to the rural community of Canute, Oklahoma. 

On August 15, 1928, when she was 16, she entered the Sisters of Mercy and 

made her perpetual profession of vows August 15, 1934. Sister Mary Clotilda enjoyed 

her early education at Mt. Saint Mary’s High School in Oklahoma City—the students 

and the community life of the sisters, and always participated in celebrations, prayer 

and events. 

She received her teacher’s certificate in Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in 

history at Mt. St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, and a master’s degree in social 

studies at St. Louis University in Missouri. Her ministries in Oklahoma City included 

St. Joseph, John Carroll, St. Francis, Sacred Heart, Mt. Saint Mary’s, and McGuinness. 

Other missions in Oklahoma included St. Joseph’s in Elk City, St. Mary’s in Konawa,

St. Agnes in Ardmore, and St. Benedict’s in Shawnee. In addition, she ministered at 

Trinity High in Hutchison, Kansas, and in Slaton, Texas. 

Sister Mary Clotilda’s joy-filled spirit embraced so many students throughout her 

career. Many students and their parents followed her throughout her lifetime and to her 

last days. She enjoyed playing challenging games and putting together multiple complex 

jigsaw puzzles. Her life was devoted to prayer and dedication as a joyful Sister of Mercy. 

Sister Mary Clotilda will be remembered as a good religious, hard working teacher, 

and friend of the poor. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Urilla 

Schachle, Helen Cunha, Regine Ricciotti, Virginia Toelle and Genevieve Barrett and 

brothers Charles Toelle and Eugene Toelle. Her survivors include many beloved nieces, 

nephews and their children, Mercy physicians, co-workers/caretakers, Mercy associates 

and Religious Sisters of Mercy. 

Funeral Mass: Tuesday, January 8, 2013, Mercy Health Center Convent, 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

Date of Interment: Tuesday, January 8, 2013, Resurrection Memorial Cemetery, 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

St. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery 

as a child 

and endured untold hardship and suffering. 

Once liberated from your physical enslavement, 

you found true redemption in your encounter with 

Christ and his Church. 

O St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a 

state of slavery; 

Intercede with God on their behalf 

so that they will be released from their chains 

of captivity. 

Those whom man enslaves, let God set free. 

Provide comfort to survivors of slavery 

and let them look to you as an example of hope 

and faith. 

Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. 

We ask for your prayers and intercessions for 

those enslaved among us. 

Amen. 

Icon © Mount Angel Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon 


as a child 













and faith. 




Amen. 

Icon © Mount Angel Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon 


as a child 













and faith. 




Amen. 

Icon © Mount Angel Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon

Catholic Social Teaching 

& Human Trafficking 

The Catho lic Church's vehement opposition to human 

trafficking is rooted in principles of Catholic social 

teaching, central to which is the sacredness and dignity 

of human life, and in the Catechism of the Catholic 

Church which "for bids acts or enterprises that, for 

any reason, lead to the enslavement of human beings 

– to their being bought, sold, and exchanged like merchandise, 

in disregard for their personal dignity." The 

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USC- 

CB) Committee on Migration's Statement On Human 

Trafficking clearly outlines the 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." 

How You Can Help 

Be Part of the Solution. Learn more about the Church’s 

Response to Human Trafficking. 

Be observant. Identify victims in your community and 

respond appropriately. Use our Red Flags and Screening 

Questions to Identify Victims and then Take Action. 

Spread the word. Help us distribute posters and other 

resources in your community. For resources or 

to request technical assistance, training or consultancy 

services, contact Anti-Trafficking Services at 

202.541.3357. 

Be informed. Sign up for our web-based trainings 

and/or e-newsletter. 

Visit us at www.usccb.org 



























202.541.3357. 



Visit us at www.usccb.org 



























202.541.3357. 



Visit us at www.usccb.org

LCWR Prayer Vigil for an End to Human Trafficking 

Welcome and Introduction: 

Opening Song: We Shall Overcome 

We shall overcome, we shall overcome 

We shall overcome some day. 

January 11, 2013-----Human Trafficking Awareness Day 

CHORUS: Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe—we shall overcome some day. 

We are not afraid, we are not afraid, 

We are not afraid today. 


Leader: Each person forced into slavery has a unique story—a story of struggles, hopes and dreams. 

Let us listen now to the story of one survivor of human trafficking who lived to become a saint. 

Reader 1: St. Josephine Bakhita was born in southern Sudan in 1869. As a young girl, she was kidnapped and 

sold into slavery. Sold and resold in the markets of El Obeid and Karthoum, she was treated brutally by her 

captors. She did not remember the name she was given by her parents. Bakhita, which means “fortunate 

one,” was the name given to her by her kidnappers. 

Reader 2: In 1883, she was bought by an Italian diplomat who sent her to Italy to work as a maid for the 

daughter of a family friend studying with the Canossian Daughters of Charity. It was there that Bakhita came 

to know about God whom “she had experienced in her heart without knowing” who God was. In 1890, she 

was baptized and received the name Josephine. 

Reader 1: Later, the Italian family came to take their “property” back to Africa. Josephine expressed her desire 

to stay. When the family insisted she go, she remained firm, later writing: “I am sure the Lord gave me 

strength at that moment.” With the support of the superior of the Canossian Sisters and the Cardinal of 

Venice, she won her freedom and later entered the novitiate. For the next 50 years she lived a life of prayer 

and service as a Canossian Sister before 

her death in 1947. 

Reader 2: St. Josephine was canonized in 2000, and there is currently a grassroots movement to designate her 

as the patron saint for human trafficking victims. Pope John Paul II said this in his homily at her canonization: 

“In St. Josephine Bakhita we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires 

not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and 

violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights.” 

1

Quiet Reflection: What inspires me about the life of St. Josephine? 

--Please turn to a person close to you to share one idea. 

Leader: In the weeks before her death, St. Josephine Bakhita re‐lived the terrible days of her captivity. 

More than once, she cried out: “Please, loosen the chains … they are heavy!” We ask for the intercession of 

St. Josephine as we pray . . . 

Side 1: For the estimated 27 million women, men and children currently held in slavery‐like conditions. 

All respond: “Loosen the chains . . . they are heavy!” 

Side 2: For conversion of heart for the perpetrators and organizers of human trafficking. All respond: 

Side 1: For governments, corporations, and consumers, that we will address the systems that make 

human trafficking possible. All respond: 

Side 2: For the success of efforts to stop the demand for human trafficking. All respond: 

All: God of hope and freedom, inspire us in our work to loosen the chains of human trafficking in our world. 

Strengthen us so that like St. Josephine Bakhita, we may stand firm in our resolve to create a slave‐free world. 

Amen. 

Song: We Shall Overcome 

We are not afraid, we are not afraid--We are not afraid today. 


Leader: On the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all 

persons held as slaves within any State…shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. 

—Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation 

For 150 years, the United States has promised freedom and liberty. Yet, we know that people are 

still enslaved within our borders. Human trafficking and slavery are illegal in every country, but present in 

every nation on Earth. 

All: God is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 

Leader: As we reflect on freedom during this 150 th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, let us listen 

to stories of contemporary survivors of human trafficking. 

Reader 3: Natalia was born in Ghana but moved to the United States to go to school. The family she was living 

with abused her and forced her to care for the house and their three children. Natalia worked for 18 hours a 

day without pay. One day, after being beaten, she escaped and sought help from the police. 

Reader 4: Nayantara met a labor broker at a carpet factory in Nepal. He promised her a good job as a 

domestic worker in Lebanon. Instead he took her to India and sold her to a brothel where she was forced to 

have sex with at least 35 men each day. Eventually, she ran away and is now in a refuge in Nepal. 

Reader 5: Antonio cared for his parents and five younger siblings in Mexico. Promised a lucrative construction 

job in California, he moved to the United States. Instead, he was taken to Florida and forced to work in the 

2

tomato fields. Antonio was locked in a shack with the other workers at night and only allowed outside when it 

was time to work in the fields. 

Leader: Let us bow our heads and take a moment of silence to reflect on these stories. 

Leader: Natalia, Nayantara and Antonio all escaped and found freedom. We rejoice in their hope and pray for 

the liberation of all peoples who are trafficked around the world. 

Side 2: For the estimated 27 million women, men and children currently held in slavery-like conditions. 

May freedom be restored to those who have been bought, sold or kidnapped for the monetary benefit of 

others. Side 1: Bring them hope and freedom. 

Side 2: For those in bonded labor, in agricultural fields, mines and factories, who have been reduced to tools 

of production, commodities rather than human beings. Side 1: Bring them hope and freedom. 

Side 2: For those who cannot return home due to the stigma of prostitution, disease or shame, that they 

may receive the solace, healing and support they need. Side 1: Bring them hope and freedom. 

Side 2: For those forced to become soldiers, made into tools for violence. In particular, we pray for child 

soldiers in South Sudan. Side 1: Bring them hope and freedom. 

Side 2: For children exploited and objectified in the commercial sex industry, that they may be free to 

play,learn and grow up in freedom and safety. Side 1: Bring them hope and freedom. 

All: The just cry out, and God hears them and saves them from all their troubles. God is close to the 

brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed. God calls us to rescue the victims of human 

trafficking though our efforts. God has no hands but ours. 

Leader: Let us take a few moments of quiet to consider possible actions each of us may take to stop the 

demand for human trafficking and create a world that values the dignity of human life. 

For Reflection: How will I take action? 

Learn about the local and global reality of human trafficking. (Visit www.ipjc.org for resources) 

Pray for an end to human trafficking. 

Join or start a monthly vigil on the 1st Sunday of the month. (Visit www.ipjc.org for monthly vigil planning 

toolkit) 

Demand slave-free products. Buy fair-trade when possible. 

Advocate for state and federal legislation that protects victims and prevents human trafficking 

Talk to others about the reality of Human Trafficking. Perhaps host a workshop, speaker or video 

on human trafficking for my parish, school and organizations to which I belong. 

Support local safe houses and shelters for trafficked persons. 

Other: ____________________________________ 

3

Leader: As we lift our hands, let us silently in our hearts offer our commitment to God. 

All: God of hope and freedom, we offer these commitments to you. Inspire us to act for justice and bring an 

end to human trafficking. Help us build a world where all are free to live with dignity. Glory to you, God of life 

and freedom, praise and thanksgiving now and forever. Amen 

Sending Forth: 

Closing Song: 

We’ll walk hand in hand in hand; we’ll walk hand in hand. We’ll walk hand in hand today. 


We shall all be free; we shall all be free. We shall all be free someday. 


The whole wide world around, the whole wide world around, the whole wide world around someday. 


Based on prayer services created by the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, Seattle, WA, 206.223.1138 www.ipjc.org 

Our gratitude to them for their powerful social justice ministry. 

4

Sisters of Mercy - South Central Community 

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas 

To borrow one of these resources, please contact audiovisual@mercysc.org. 

07 Sep 2011 2:38 PM 

Issues Related to Trafficking and Slavery 

Alphabetized by Title 

Title Length Call Number 

2008 Freedom Awards, Los Angeles, CA 123 DVD 1 

The Freedom Awards celebrate the heroes of the anti-slavery movement. Winners include Amihan 

Abueva, Friends of Orphans, CPT & Reporter Brasil, Jessica Leslie & Aashika Damodar and James Kofi 

Annan. 

Behind the Labels 46 DVD 290 

Lured by false promises and driven by desperation, thousands of Chinese and Filipina women pay high 

fees to work in garment factories on the pacific island of Saipan, the only U.S. territory exempt from labor 

and immigration laws. The clothing they sew, bearing the "Made in the USA" label, is shipped duty and 

quota-free to the U.S for sale by The GAP. 

Bought & Sold 42 DVD 297 

Based on a two year undercover investigation conducted by the Global Survival Network into the illegal 

trafficking in women from the Former Soviet republics, this documentary features interviews with 

traffickers, Russian mafia, trafficked women, and groups working to provide services to these women. 

One of the two CDs is a screening guide. 

CPT & Reporter Brasil 11 DVD 15 

CPT and Reporter Brasil are two organizations that were awarded the 2008 Harriet Tubman Community 

Award for fighting slavery in corporations in Brasil. 

Dreams Die Hard 37 DVD 19 

This film looks at current slavery in the United States, focusing on three separate cases involving sex 

slavery, agricultural slavery, and domestic slavery. It features interviews with victims of each type, and 

looks and what has and can be done to combat modern day slavery. 

Empire's New Clothes, The 9 DVD 305 

New York is one of the fashion capitals of the world, but few people know that up to 75% of the city's 

garment factories are in fact sweatshops. The majority of workers in these sweatshops are immigrants and 

undocumented workers, who are particularly vulnerable to unfair labor practices, exploitation, and 

hazardous work conditions. 

Heart of Fire 94 DVD 171 

Feuerherz: Based on the memoirs of former child solder Senait G. Mehari, this drama follows the young 

headstrong heroine heroine Awet, who is given away to the Eritrean Liberation Front by her father and 

brainwashed into battle. 

Lives for Sale 60 DVD 185 

This program exposes the most painful, disturbing, and hidden dimension of illegal immigration: the 

growing black market trade in human beings."--container. 

Price of Youth, The 9 DVD 306 

WITNESS partner Andrew Levine used a WITNESS hidden camera to film the brothels of Mumbai, 

India, to produce this heart-wrenching video. The Price of Youth examines the recent explosion in the 

systematic trafficking of young girls and women from Nepal for forced prostitution. 

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Issues Related to Trafficking and Slavery 

Alphabetized by Title 

Title Length Call Number 

Slavery: 101 12 DVD 132 

This documentary explores the subject of modern day slavery as seen in four countries. In some villages 

of India, children are stolen from their families and are put to work making carpets and rugs. On the 

Ivory Coast of West Africa, young men are sold into slavery to work on cocoa plantations. The abuse of 

domestic workers in Washington D.C. and London, England is presented as well. 

Slavery: A Global Investigation 79 DVD 175 

This documentary explores the subject of modern day slavery as seen in four countries. In some villages 

of India, children are stolen from their families and are put to work making carpets and rugs. On the 

Ivory Coast of West Africa, young men are sold into slavery to work on cocoa plantations. The abuse of 

domestic workers in Washington D.C. and London, England is presented as well. 

You Must Know About Me 19 DVD 336 

In Macedonia, sex workers are pushed to the margins of society by a combination of prejudice, 

discrimination and violence. This is a first hand account of sex workers experiences on and off the streets. 

The movie calls for zero tolerance of violence against sex workers. 

To borrow one of these resources, please contact audiovisual@mercysc.org. 

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