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Sisters of the Holy Family

August 1, 2008

In this issue

• This Summer with the Sisters: Jubilee! 
• Water for Life
• Peace and Justice Issues and Actions: Human Trafficking Definitions
• Book Review by Sister Jacinta Fiebig
• Proclaim Justice Earth Charter
• Sisters Respond to Human Trafficking
• Links and Wishes of Collaborating Organizations
• New Farmworkers' Ministry - Sister Sandra Ann Silva
• Reflections by Sister Carol Crater
• Charism Reflections by Sister Jo Marie Arredondo
• Prayer Request
• Join Other Friends of the Sisters

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This Summer with the Sisters: Celebrating Jubilee: 50, 60, and 70 years!

Click to view the photo album and read the Gospel reflection.

The theme of the day was the precious gift of water. Learn about the Jubilarians suggested gift to Afghanistan Watershed Restoration.

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Water for Life

Water flows from the high mountains.
Water runs deep in the Earth.
Miraculously, water comes to us, and sustains life.
Water Flows over these hands.
May I use them skillfully
to preserve our precious planet”
~Tich Nhat Hanh

Water for Life is a watershed development program promoting water and livelihood security in drought-prone areas of western Afghanistan. Essential to community health and stability, this program involves building and repair of major water infrastructure including canals, wells, pumps and irrigation systems. Water for Life sustains local agriculture with restored irrigation and drainage, as well as systems to prevent the devastating impact of floods and droughts.

Some of the Sisters celebrating their Jubilee this year requested that in lieu of gifts, a contribution be made to Catholic Relief Services specifically for the Afghanistan Watershed Restoration Project. The decision was made primarily because the Sisters wanted to take an action that would reflect their commitment in living out of the Earth Charter.

Please see the related article in the current Family of Friends, which will arrive in your mailbox soon!

If you do not already receive the Family of Friends, you can read it online at www.holyfamilysisters.org or you can call 510-624-4580 and request to be added to the mailing list.

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Peace and Justice: Issues and Actions

Human Trafficking: what does it means

Owning a slave has never been cheaper than it is today. Women, children, and also vulnerable men, work in factories, fields, restaurants, hotels, homes, and in every facet of the sex industry. This slavery exists in every country, including the United States.

In fact, trafficking in women and girls has become one of the fastest growing enterprises in the world. The United Nations estimates that over two million women and girls are taken from their homeland into other countries under false pretenses for the purposes of forced labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation. Trafficking and slavery are never "stand alone crimes." They are linked to money laundering, drug trafficking, document forgery, human smuggling, rape, and torture.

This is a complex, multi-national, economically-driven, politically charged reality... a reality that impacts us even if we do not yet recognize it.

We are called to respond. Click here to see what the Sisters will be doing!

Definitions of human trafficking include:

Federal:  Federal law defines trafficking in persons as “sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age”; or “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.”

California:  California law defines human trafficking as “all acts involved in the recruitment, abduction, transport, harboring, transfer, sale or receipt of persons, within national or across international borders, through force, coercion, fraud or deception, to place persons in situations of slavery or slavery-like conditions, forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution or sexual services, domestic servitude, bonded sweatshop labor, or other debt bondage.”

Monthly "Stop Trafficking!" newsletter.
The Sisters of the Holy Family co-sponsor this newsletter.

Information above is from the Sisters of the Divine Savior.

Book Review by Sister Jacinta Fiebig

Not For Sale, by David Batstone

It is a book written quite clearly explaining Human Trafficking in all its cruel and brutal forms.  Batstone devotes chapters describing the horrors of peoples’ lives caught up in Human Trafficking in country after country including the United States.

If one wanted to understand why there seems to be a world-wide return of slavery, this book would be the one to read.  The book is hard to read as the author exposes the truth of the real horrors of real human beings tortured and held slaves.

Batstone also reveals the many people who are finding their role as abolitionists, who endeavor to help the victims.  He tells story after story of heroes who come to the aid of the victims; many who are rescued.

Also there is information on how all people who want to help bring this Human Trafficking to an end in our world can get involved.

Awareness is one of the first steps.  This book is a means of opening hearts for those who want to take a small step to free the Modern Day Slaves.

The following quote from his book:

“About 80 % of the individuals who are trafficked for the purposes of slave labor each year are female.  If women’s groups in every professional association, religious community and funding network would get behind abolition, they would fuel an international movement that could eradicate slavery.”

Not for Sale Campaign.   ·   Other books on this topic can be found here.

Have a book you would like to recommend? Contact us!

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Proclaiming Justice

Earth Charter Preamble

We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny.

We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. Back to menu

 Sisters Respond to Human Trafficking

In 2004 we, the Sisters of the Holy Family, officially committed to embrace the principles of the Earth Charter. Since then we have deepened this commitment in our own hearts and have sought ways of caring for the earth and its peoples. We have reflected on the Millennium Development Goals and have made choices that enhance the quality of the life for the poor of our world.

Since January 2008 we have been involved in an educational phase regarding the exploitation of women, men and children through human trafficking. This June we, Sisters and Associates, chose a focus to address the issue of human trafficking as follows:

We, Sisters of the Holy Family and Associates, witness to the good news and stand against conditions that demean or undermine the dignity of persons or the sacredness of the family. We witness to each person’s dignity, worth and the right to a full human life; at this time in our history we stand against the devastating evil of human trafficking. We stand with every woman, man and child who has been victimized by human trafficking and support their healing, restoration and re-integration into a life worthy of her/his human dignity. Thus,

·        We commit ourselves to continue raising our own awareness of human trafficking as well as the awareness of others.

·        We commit ourselves to finding creative ways to support those rescued from human trafficking.

·        We commit ourselves to supporting legislative action and advocacy on behalf of all caught in the web of human trafficking.

Currently the Sisters of the Holy Family also co-sponsor the
"Stop Trafficking!" newsletter.
Newest link will always be at the Sisters of the Holy Family Web site.

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Links and Wishes of Organizations Collaborating on Anti-slavery Programs

The Sisters are working with several organizations on the new anti-trafficking mission.

Mountain Women's Resource Center works with trafficked women and children. Their first response is to bring them into the emergency shelter. 

• Wish List: paper goods, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and perishable food.

Sisters of the Divine Savior, Central Coast California As an international Congregation, the Sisters of the Divine Savior have made it a priority to try to unite with a million religious Sisters from all over the world to address the abuse and sexual exploitation of women and children with particular attention to the trafficking of women.

They publish The Stop Trafficking newsletter, which serves as a forum for exchange among religious congregations and their collaborating organizations: to promote awareness about human trafficking; to exchange best practices in advocacy for and empowerment of survivors of human trafficking; to recommend actions that counter human trafficking.

The Asian Anti-Trafficking Collaborative is a collaborative made up of four community-based anti-violence agencies that have worked in coalition with each other since the 1990s on domestic violence and human trafficking. In 2001, the four agencies, led by API Legal Outreach, formed the Asian Anti-Trafficking Collaborative.  Member organizations include: Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legal Outreach, Asian Women’s Shelter, Donaldina Cameron House, Narika

• Wish List: shelter space and transitional housing, hotel vouchers, clothing vouchers, gift certificates for food, bus passes and toiletries.

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking assists persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations.

• Wish List: Large glass/plastic tumblers; colored copy paper; vcr; an English dictionary; art supplies: canvases, brushes, paints, drawing paper, etc.; energy efficient light bulbs, small vacuum, propane barbeque, beach chairs, non-stick frying pan, pajamas, tablecloth, household step ladder, visual smoke detector with strobe light, alarm clock for the hearing impaired, and a doorbell for the hearing impaired

Motivating Inspiring Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth (MISSSEY) Inc. is a nonprofit organization based out of Alameda County that was created to respond to the epidemic of sexually exploited children, especially in the form of child/teen prostitution. MISSSEY provide intensive case management, court advocacy, professional & community trainings, comprehensive data reporting and local/state/national education and awareness campaigns.

• Wish List: Van, outdoor camping and adventure equipment, youth bus vouchers, BART tickets, tickets to Bay Area youth friendly recreational venues, new youth clothing, hygiene supplies, youth-friendly healthy snacks, gift certificates and cards, gas cards, office equipment and furniture.

   

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Current Ministry  By Sister Sandra Ann Silva

My intention in coming to Pajaro, California was to visit recently arrived Mixteco families from Mexico with the hope of assisting them with resources and forming small  church communities.

My experience has taught me that although my focus is still on Mixteco families I have also encountered recently arrived Zapoteco Indian families as well as other families from other parts of Mexico.  Therefore, I minister to all those with whom I come in contact.  All are migrant families who work in the fields in the area of Pajaro and Las Lomas and sometimes from out of the area.  All these families are in “survival” mode.

The Mixteco and Zapoteco families come from impoverished, isolated parts of Oaxaca and are not evangelized. They usually are baptized but have not received any other Sacraments.  They speak very little, if any, Spanish, and, therefore, the women are more socially and emotionally isolated than they were in Oaxaca.  

I am working in conjunction with Assumption Parish in Pajaro. The pastor is very supportive and has given me full consent to do whatever will help to reach the people. When I find a young person in one of the homes who can read in Spanish that person becomes the “Catechist” to his or her family.  I return at a later date to see how things are going.  A young Mixteco couple, who is fairly bilingual, accompanies me on Sunday to visit families and we do very basic Bible study with them.

These months have helped me to scratch the surface of this needed ministry and I am very happy to accompany the people in Pajaro and Las Lomas. It is a challenge to slowly and patiently learn the culture and values of the people without becoming discouraged that so little seems to be happening.  It is truly God’s work.  I am grateful to the Sisters of the Holy Family for making it possible for me to be here.

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The whole chapter is wonderful for reading and prayer and reflection. Note especially the verses in today's reading as a comfort and inspiration in difficult times. (Did I mention that Romans 8 is one of my personal favorite chapters?!)

Continue the list in verses 38-39 of things that cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, using scary things from your own life experience (such as cancer, the death of a child, terrorist threats, etc.)

Charism Reflection by Sister Jo Marie Arredondo

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Prayer Request

The Sisters of the Holy Family "Gift of Prayer" offers a thoughtful and special way to honor a friend or relative. Use a Gift of Prayer to remember the deceased, celebrate an anniversary, birthday, promotion, retirement or birth. This is your ongoing opportunity to make a meaningful remembrance through the "Gift of Prayer."

Please click here to make a Gift of Prayer.

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Friends of Sisters of the Holy Family

There are lots of ways you can help the Sisters of the Holy Family keep their mission and vision alive.

• Make a contribution
  
• Donate a car or other vehicle
• Volunteer
• Remember the Sisters in your estate planning
• Come to a special event at the Sisters' Motherhouse
• Make an in-kind contribution to our online auction event
  or to the Sisters directly.
• Make a purchase that benefits the Sisters.

If you are ready to make your donation, click here!
And thank you in advance for your contribution as a friend!

The Sisters of the Holy Family Web site home page

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