In the parish of Saint Jeanne-Antide, for several years now, there has been a group of adults who once a month go on a night mission to one of the capital’s busiest streets.
The group was set up by Monsignor Paolo Lojudice, at the time auxiliary bishop of Rome for the southern area, and currently bishop of Siena.
‘During our night missions,’ says one of the missionaries, ’we meet women who have been trafficked for the purpose of prostitution. They are mainly very young women from Eastern Europe, often with chilling past and present histories. Lately, we have also been meeting many transgender people of South American origin.
Our organisation is a ‘contact and listening unit’ that usually involves three stages: meeting, proclamation and the Word.
The first moment is the meeting during which we listen to their life situations, past and present. The second moment is characterised by the proclamation of God’s love that does not judge, but welcomes, heals and restores; the power of God’s love also witnessed by our personal life experiences. The third moment is the reading of a passage of the Bible to enlighten their life. It is a passage from the Gospel chosen at random by them, when possible, to be able to bring their life into contact with the redemptive story of Jesus of Nazareth.
We always conclude with a prayer recited together and invoking the Lord’s blessing on each of them, individually’.
The women, often underage, the transgender kids, the victims of sexual exploitation on the street, don’t ask for help, they live in a silence full of fear and shame.
But it’s a deafening silence.
What do they say about us?
The sculpture ‘Let The Oppressed Go Free’ was created by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. It depicts Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of women who are victims of human trafficking, bending down to free people who have been imprisoned. The work was inspired by Pope Francis, who said that as long as the problem of trafficking and slavery remains underground, hidden, it will not be solved.
