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Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking
Prayer, Awareness, Action

The Archdiocese of San Francisco stands firmly against modern-day slavery in all its forms—forced labor, sexual exploitation, and trafficking of children and adults. Guided by prayer, education, and strategic action, we:

  • Pray together annually around the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita (February 8), inviting the faithful to join virtual rosaries and intercede for survivors.

  • Learn and equip through recorded webinars featuring experts like Susan Patterson and Lisa Lungren, who share practical tools for parish-level response.

  • Empower local leaders to become “shepherds” in their communities—mobilizing Catholics with resources from USCCB best-practices and Archdiocesan training materials .

Why It Matters in San Francisco

With its major ports, transportation hubs, and diverse population, the Bay Area is a known hotspot for human trafficking. Our response must mix:

  • Spiritual solidarity, through prayer and communal awareness

  • Educational rigor, via expert-led workshops and parish tools

  • Conscious outreach, guiding each of us into action and advocacy

“May reflection and awareness always be accompanied by concrete gestures, which also open up paths to social emancipation. Indeed, the aim is for every enslaved person to return to being a free agent of his or her own life and to take an active part in the construction of the common good.”

Below you will find recordings of past events that can help you learn more about human trafficking. Knowledge is power!

Every year, we join in prayer against this evil around the Feast of St. Bakhita in February. For 2025, join us in a virtual prayer on February 6th. To sign up and get a zoom link, please visit our event page: https://sfarch.org/event/rosary-human-trafficking/

Recordings from Our Past Webinars

Below you will find recordings of past events that can help you learn more about human trafficking. Knowledge is power!

Human Trafficking Overview Presentation

About the Speaker: Susan Patterson is a national leader in the fight against human trafficking and author of the book “How You Can Fight Human Trafficking, Over 100 Ways to Make a Difference” which has been acclaimed by anti-Human Trafficking advocates nationwide to be one of the best resources out there because it is practical. Her book has also been recommended by the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops to Catholic communities that want to respond to the call of Pope Frances to take on the fight against human trafficking.

 

Child Sex Trafficking: What Is It & How to Fight It

Lisa Lungren, M.A., National Outreach Coordinator – Immigration and Anti-Trafficking, manages public outreach, constituent education, and resource development for two national Catholic anti-human trafficking campaigns at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). She also helps to convene USCCB’s Coalition of Catholic Organizations against Human Trafficking (CCOAHT), a group of over 30 national and international Catholic agencies working to eliminate the plight of trafficked victims.

Grace Williams, Founder, President, & Executive Director
Grace received her BA in Applied Linguistics in 2006 from Trinity Western University. She has volunteered in several ministries serving survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, including a Union Gospel Mission, Mary’s Guest House, and the Missionaries of Charity’s Homeless Women’s Shelter. She has attended training with Treasures International, the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, and Loren Fardulis of Kairos Youth and Family Services. In October of 2013, Grace founded Children of the Immaculate Heart and since then has served as Executive Director. Grace was, also, the co-chair of the San Diego Board of Supervisors’ Human Trafficking Advisory Council Victim Service Committee from 2015 to 2019.

Become A Shepherd in Your Parish

One of the most hidden and vulnerable populations our Church is called to accompany and protect are women, men, and children subjected to forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Over the last two decades, global understanding of the scope and prevalence of human trafficking has evolved, and with that a mounting concern among U.S. Catholics over the crime’s contempt for the dignity and sanctity of human life. Based on best practices from USCCB’s national BECOME A SHEPHERD outreach programs, and successful examples from parishes around the country, this workshop will offer pragmatic, fresh, and creative responses to operationalize a growing Catholic hunger to effectively fight human trafficking. Diocesan and parish leaders will be equipped with an engaging three-pronged approach to transform empathy for victims into action that is effective and long-lasting.

Lisa Lungren is the National Education and Outreach Coordinator of Immigration and Anti-Trafficking at USCCB/MRS. She brings a decade of experience leading and coordinating grassroots outreach, coalition-building in multi- lingual settings, and developing educational resources for varied audiences.

The Sextortion of Minors, the Hidden Pandemic Every Parent Should Know About

In this video, Opal Singleton, a National Cyber Exploitation Expert brings our awareness to the crime of the Sextortion of Minors, which many consider to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. The Sextortion of Minors is when a pedophile blackmails a child or teen into making and sending them child porn. The shame these minors endure is unimaginable. They will never tell their parents. Sometimes they will commit suicide to escape the pain. This crime is virtually unchecked because of the lack of awareness.

Sign Up to Learn More

Stay informed about upcoming prayer events, webinars, and resources to help end human trafficking.

 

Join us:

  • Sign up for upcoming prayers and webinars around St. Bakhita Day

  • Explore the webinar recordings to learn how your parish can respond

  • Pray regularly—and let your prayer ripple outward into action

Together, we can raise awareness, inspire action, and bring hope to those in need.

 





Contact Us

Have questions or want to get involved in the fight against human trafficking? We’d love to hear from you.

María Martínez-Mont

Respect Life & Gabriel Project Coordinator

Tel.: (415) 614-5633
Email: martinezmontm@sfarch.org