Bending the Arc

Every year on February 8, communities around the world unite in prayer, reflection, and action for the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. This Day coincides with the liturgical memory of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese nun who was kidnapped and enslaved as a child, and who later became the universal symbol of the Church's commitment to ending human trafficking. 

You are invited to take part in local and international initiatives marking this day.

Join UISG from February 4–8 for a Week of Mobilization and Prayer in Rome, culminating in the Angelus with Pope Leo at St. Peter’s Square—experience faith in action! This year’s theme is “Peace Begins with Dignity: A Global Call to End Human Trafficking,” is inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s powerful reminder that true peace is gentle and humble, born of love, and sustained where human dignity is upheld. Get more details.

Receive the 2026 Edition of the Vigil of Prayer Guide and learn more at https://www.uisg.org/en/news/peace-begins-with-dignity-global-call-to-end-human-trafficking-2026/

You can review resources offered by these organizations:

• Talitha Kum https://www.talithakum.info/en/news/february-8th-2026-save-the-date/
• USCCB - https://www.usccb.org/committees/administrative/february-8th-international-day-prayer-and-awareness-against-human
• Alliance to End Human Trafficking - 2026 Toolkit

February 8 also coincides with the date of the NFL Super Bowl. With the Superbowl, World Cup, and other sporting events on the horizon, we invite you to watch a 90-minute webinar dedicated to exploring the intersection of human trafficking and major sporting events. His Excellency Oscar Cantú, Bishop of San Jose, California, led an opening prayer and offered thoughts on the Church’s role in combating human trafficking. Please watch the recording here —Use passcode qh5@?h#E

On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Each month, we will share an article inviting reflection on this anniversary, the current state of our democracy, and our personal role in its maintenance. 

On July 5, 1852, abolitionist Frederick Douglass was asked “to deliver a Fourth of July Oration” to a mostly white audience. He delivered his speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” (also known as "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?") at an event commemorating the 76th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Rochester, New York. Douglass began the speech with praise for the principles that led to the Declaration of Independence.

Feeling themselves harshly and unjustly treated, by the home government, your fathers, like men of honesty, and men of spirit, earnestly sought redress. They petitioned and remonstrated; they did so in a decorous, respectful, and loyal manner. Their conduct was wholly unexceptionable. This, however, did not answer the purpose. They saw themselves treated with sovereign indifference, coldness and scorn. Yet they persevered. They were not the men to look back. 

His hour-long speech reflected on how the independence being celebrated was far from universal. 

The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.

He did not give up hope that the nation could improve, though. He celebrated that the United States was still young and had room to grow improve.

… nations number their years by thousands. According to this fact, you are, even now, only in the beginning of your national career, still lingering in the period of childhood. I repeat, I am glad this is so. There is hope in the thought, and hope is much needed, under the dark clouds which lower above the horizon. 

Eleven years after Douglass' Speech, The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.  

It took another 23 months for the executive order to be ratified as the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, on December 6, 1865.

And another seven months beyond that for the news of freedom to reach people who were still enslaved in Texas on June 19, 1865. 

Despite the abolition of slavery, it still continues in many forms today usually via human trafficking. This crime occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will. It is a crime under state, federal and international law and is currently the second-largest type of criminal activity, exceeded only by the illegal drug trade.

Our work to maintain and expand independence is far from over, but as Douglass celebrated the constant opportunity for improvement, so do we.

Read the full speech

Watch a dramatic recreation of the speech courtesy of the US National Archives:

Reflect

1. As I listen to Douglass' speech, which parts still seem true in today's United States?
2. Do I have the same hope as Douglass for the continued improvement of our democracy?
3. What hoped-for changes does this inspire in me, and how can I be part of bringing those changes into reality?

Learn more about CSA's “US at 250” initiatives

The Alliance to End Human Trafficking (AEHT) welcomes the enactment of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (H.R. 4323), a meaningful step in advancing justice for survivors of human trafficking. This landmark federal law establishes a clear process for survivors to petition to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for certain offenses committed as a direct result of their exploitation.

For far too long, survivors have borne the lasting consequences of criminal records tied to acts they were coerced into, creating undue barriers to employment, housing, education, and healing. This law affirms an essential truth: these records are scars of exploitation, not indicators of criminal intent, and survivors deserve pathways to rebuild their lives with dignity.

“As this law moves into implementation, we are committed to ensuring it is applied effectively so that survivors can fully access the relief it was intended to provide,” said Katie Boller Gosewisch, Executive Director of AEHT. “It also offers hope that our systems can continue to evolve and support survivors in building stable, self-directed futures.”

AEHT expresses deep gratitude to the bipartisan members of Congress whose leadership made this legislation possible, and to the survivors and advocates whose voices and lived experiences shaped its passage. While this progress does not end human trafficking, it represents important recognition that survivor-centered justice must include not only accountability for traffickers, but also the removal of legal obstacles that hinder recovery.
 

We are women religious who have lost three of our own to murderous violence. We have written our own statement on nonviolence signed by all our sisters and associates. We are absolutely appalled by the violence we have witnessed in Minnesota, wrought by agents of our own federal government. We cannot be silent in the face of such violent cruelty and lawlessness, both because it defies everything our Constitution stands for and because it denies the very humanity of certain targeted groups of people. As our Native American brothers and sisters remind us, “No one is illegal on stolen land.” So, we, the leadership of the Sisters of St. Agnes, embrace the LCWR Statement Choosing Nonviolence as Gospel Witness wholeheartedly, standing with the people of Minnesota and across the country in Gospel love, hoping for more humane and comprehensive ways of solving our immigration issues. 

At this moment in history, when fear is normalized, violence is amplified, and democratic life is under strain in the United States and across the world, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) raises a clear and unwavering moral voice: violence is not the Gospel response.

The way of Jesus calls us to a love that refuses harm, rejects domination, and insists on the dignity of every person. Love demands more than silence or neutrality. It requires truth-telling, moral courage, and a willingness to stand publicly with those whose lives and rights are threatened. Nonviolence is not passivity; it is disciplined, courageous action rooted in justice and hope.

Across the globe and within our own communities — from Ukraine to Minneapolis — we see the tragic consequences of aggression. Violence does not resolve conflict or restore peace; it deepens wounds and multiplies suffering. Nonviolence, by contrast, requires profound interior strength and sustained commitment. It must be cultivated personally and communally, and practiced intentionally within social, political, and global systems.

Women religious have long understood this truth through lived experience. Since arriving in what would become the United States in 1727, congregations of women religious have participated in the shaping of this nation through education, healthcare, advocacy, and service to those most at risk. Throughout the evolving life of this democracy, women religious have sought to embody gospel values in public life, especially in times of moral crisis.

In continuity with this witness, we unequivocally denounce the use of violence in any form. We call upon individuals and communities — and especially those entrusted with leadership in local, state, and federal government — to choose paths that uphold human rights, protect democratic processes, and honor the dignity of life at every stage.

In these times, the members of LCWR commit to a public, prophetic presence rooted in prayer and expressed through concrete action. We pledge to make visible the Gospel through advocacy for nonviolence, racial justice, humane immigration policies, and care for our common home. Our hope does not rest in force or fear, but in the transformative power of love lived boldly and together.

The USCCB has launched the You Are Not Alone initiative – a national effort to offer hope, accompaniment, and practical support to immigrants and their families facing fear and instability due to immigration enforcement in the United States. The initiative focuses on actions like emergency and family support, accompaniment and pastoral care, solidarity through public prayer and witness, and education about Church teaching and immigrants’ rights. 

You are encouraged to get involved by using the initiative’s resources in your parishes and communities, organizing or participating in prayer and witness events, offering direct support to immigrant families, signing the Cabrini Pledge, and connecting with local Catholic Charities or legal service affiliates.

Learn more about the You Are Not Alone Initiative on the USCCB Justice for Migrants website: https://justiceforimmigrants.org/you-are-not-alone/ 
 

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the United States. The Alliance to End Human Trafficking, formerly U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking has just released their January newsletter, Stop Trafficking!  Read it here.

Other important Monthly Updates include:

1. Information about the Annual Conference in Boston, April 15-17. This year’s theme is United in Prevention: Current Trends and Prevention Strategies. Father Greg Boyle, SJ will be this year’s keynote speaker.
2. International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking - Feb 8. Download a prayer vigil here
3. What would you do? High School Video Contest. CSA is a sponsor of this contest. Please share with students and education professionals in your areas.
4. Support the Alliance with apparel. Available in different styles, sizes, and colors. Order here.
    

As Catholics, we are called to be people of peace. Yet gun violence continues to devastate our nation, taking thousands of lives each year and inflicting deep physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds on families and communities. In response, Nuns Against Gun Violence (NAGV) invites all people of faith to join our third annual Lenten Fast to End Gun Violence.

During Lent, we will unite our minds, hearts, and bodies in a spirit of sacrifice—whether through fasting from food and drink or choosing another meaningful discipline—to pray for an end to gun violence and call our civic leaders to enact life‑saving legislation. This year’s fast will help deepen our awareness of how gun violence impacts individuals, families, and communities, especially children and teens.

Participants are encouraged to engage in three components:

Prayer – Join our virtual Ash Wednesday Prayer Service on February 18 at 2 p.m. ET bit.ly/2026NAGVAshWed 

Education – Receive weekly reflections from those directly affected by gun violence, along with scripture and resources.

Advocacy – Use your fast as a public witness for change. Resources available at nunsagainstgunviolence.org.

Sign up now to receive more information: bit.ly/2026Fast

May our Lenten prayers and fasting strengthen our desire to build a society rooted in peace.
 

PFAS—so-called “forever chemicals”—are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in plastics and consumer products. They don’t break down easily, they accumulate in the environment, and they’re increasingly being detected in drinking water across the United States. Exposure has been linked to a plethora of human health issues, such as cancer, immune suppression, reduced fertility, and developmental abnormalities.

How many Americans have been potentially exposed to PFAS through their drinking water? How can you avoid these? Hear answers to these questions and more at the Green America webinar, “The Plastic Problem: Solutions for Greener Living,” with live Q&A, on January 22 at 2 pm. 

Register here

Plastics show up in daily life and even more so when you’re on the go. Here are six realistic ways to reduce plastic waste while traveling, whether locally or internationally. Read the guide.

Green America and its members push corporations to do their part in reducing plastics and PFAS use. As individuals we can also make different choices for better outcomes for people and the planet every day. Learn more at https://greenamerica.org/