APT on St. Bakhita's Day 2026

On February 8th, 2026, Act to Prevent Trafficking in Ireland (APT Ireland) was warmly welcomed into St. Luke the Evangelist Church, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, during both the 10.00am and 12.00 noon Masses. Many APT Ireland members gathered alongside a very full church of local parishioners for these celebrations, both of which were celebrated by Fr. Aidan.

At the conclusion of each Mass, Sr. Denise O’Brien expressed sincere thanks to Very Rev. Brendan Madden, Parish Priest, and Rev. Adrian Crowley, Curate, for their welcome and support. The music at both Masses was uplifting and inspiring, adding greatly to the prayerful atmosphere of the liturgy.

During the Masses, APT Ireland distributed information leaflets outlining the reality of human trafficking and highlighting the importance of continued awareness-raising, which was the focus of our presence that day. The sermon was delivered by Sr. Rowena Galvin, a Sister of Clooney who lives in the parish. Sr. Rowena reflected on the life and witness of St. Josephine Bakhita and the significance of this special feast day. We are pleased to offer the full text of her sermon below.

A number of APT members, together with local parishioners, carried symbols related to human trafficking during the Offertory Procession, helping to give visible expression to the issue at the heart of the celebration. After Mass, members of APT Ireland made themselves available to anyone who wished to ask questions or learn more, sharing conversation and companionship over a cup of tea.

Below, we share Sr. Rowena’s sermon in full, along with notes on the symbols used and the Prayers of the Faithful, all of which contributed to deepening awareness and keeping the issue of human trafficking alive in ordinary conversations.

You can browse through the photos below.

You can read a short version of the life of St. Josephine Bakhita HERE

You can read through Sr. Rowena's Sermon HERE and below

St.Bakhita's Day Sermon.pdf

You can read the notes on the symbols used during the Offertory HERE and below

St. Bakhita's Day Offertory Symbols.pdf

You can read the Prayers of the Faithful HERE and below.

St. Bakhita's Day Prayers of Intercession.pdf

In preparation for this Mass there was attention given to the Hymns, the readings and all aspects of this Mass and it was shared overhead in the form of a PowerPoint Presentation HERE

Presentation St. Lukes the Evangelist Feb 8t 2026.pdf

THe Story of St. Josephine Bakhita.

Priest’s homily today in Kilnamanagh-Castleview parish in Tallaght (Liz Byrne) (Click to read)

Homily:

Today’s Gospel gives us two simple images. Jesus calls his disciples salt and light. These are ordinary things, yet they change everything they touch. Salt preserves and gives flavour. Light allows people to see and to walk safely. Jesus is clear. Faith is not meant to be hidden. It is meant to shape the world we live in.

Today, the Church also marks the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, kept on the feast of St Josephine Bakhita. Her life helps us hear this Gospel with sharper ears.

As a young child in Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped and sold into slavery several times. The suffering she endured was so severe that she forgot her own birth name. Her captors called her ‘Bakhita’, meaning ‘the fortunate one’, a cruel irony given what she endured. She was beaten, scarred, and treated as property rather than a human person. Yet what stands out in her life is that cruelty did not harden her heart.

Later, when she came into contact with Christianity, she discovered a God who knew her suffering and had never abandoned her. She spoke with great simplicity about this discovery, saying that for the first time she understood that she was loved. This changed everything. She did not define herself by what had been done to her, but by who she was in God’s eyes.

When she became a Canossian sister, she was known for her gentleness, patience, and quiet joy. People noticed her calm presence. She did not speak with bitterness about her past. She forgave those who had harmed her, not because she denied the pain, but because she trusted God. Her freedom was interior, rooted in faith.

Human trafficking did not end with her lifetime. It continues today in forced labour, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and modern slavery. Much of it remains hidden. The Gospel speaks directly into this reality. If we are light, we cannot turn away from darkness. If we are salt, our faith must make a difference beyond ourselves.

Jesus says that light shines so that others may see good works and give glory to God. Every good work begins with prayer. Today we pray for victims and survivors, for those who work to free them, and for the conversion of hearts. Light also means awareness. We learn to notice the vulnerable, to question systems that profit from exploitation, and to refuse indifference. Salt can be small and unseen, yet it still does its work. Small choices matter.

St Josephine Bakhita shows us what it means to live as salt and light. Her dignity as a human being, created in the image and likeness of God, was wounded but never destroyed. Her life tells us that hope is possible, that faith can transform even the deepest wounds, and that grace can bring freedom even where injustice once ruled.

As we come to the Eucharist, we ask for the grace to be what Jesus calls us to be. Salt that preserves what is good. Light that does not hide. A people whose faith makes room for dignity, freedom, and hope in a wounded world. Amen.

Global Sisters Report More on Trafficking HERE