CSAST

On Tuesday March 5, I had the honor and privilege of presenting the topic of Human Trafficking and how it involves the Pro-life community, to the members of the Knights of Columbus Assembly 2368.  What an amazing group of men!  I took the Human Trafficking talk I did for Super Bowl weekend and expanded it.  There is nothing better, for me at least, than to turn a 7 minute talk into a full-blown 30 minute talk with the addition of a 20 slide power point presentation.

I introduced myself as a survivor of 15 years of childhood sexual assault.  I truly expected a room of rolling eyes or for a mass exudes to the bathroom.  What I got instead was the undivided attention of 40 men, intelligent questions and a hefty dose of over whelming compliments.

The night before the presentation my husband asked me if I was nervous.  The funny thing was I was actually just thinking to myself that I was not at all nervous.  One thing I was not blessed with was a healthy dose of stage fright.  Talking to a group of people is very energizing to me.  Figure that one out!  My only comment was that the only think that would bother me would be talking to the top of 40 heads, because they would all have their focus on their plates as I was slated to present during dinner.

As soon as I walked in the door and began setting up my presentation, the Faithful Navigator told me I could take my time because dinner was frozen and would take about an hour to cook. Really?!  It actually gave me a great opening.  I got to tell the guys that despite my hope that I didn’t wind up talking to the top of 40 heads and thoroughly frustrated, it really wasn’t my fault that their dinner was late.

During my research I found some new information.  And like the good academic that I am, I soaked it all up.  The Catholic Church in England and Wales observe the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita – February 8 – as a Day of Prayer for Victims of Trafficking and those who work to combat it.

Click here for more information on St. Josephine Bakhita.

In closing, we must remember that we fight human trafficking by standing for our pro-life beliefs because in the end abortion is, at its core, the dehumanization and above all else THIS is the fuel for human trafficking.

“If you want peace work for justice.” ~ Pope John Paul II

St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us!

Blessings,
Stefanie Michele

There are few experiences that will ever compare to crossing the finish line after having completed a 13.1 mile half marathon.  This is an experience I won’t soon forget.

Now, over 29 hours after crossing that finish line, I am still trying to figure out how I wound up running/walking for 13.1 miles which took me  3 hours 42 minutes and 40 seconds.  

It started out as a weekend in Orlando, FL, for the birthday celebration for a high school friend.  I went down on a Friday night in late September.  The first night we talked for a few hours then crashed.  The next day we hung out then had dinner Saturday night.  As we are getting ready to crash Saturday night, she says she has a surprise for me.  My surprise…Waking up at 5:00 AM to drive an hour so we can run a 5K!  REALLY?!  I DO NOT RUN!!!  EVER!!!  So I didn’t…we walked it.  But it was rather humbling to be bested by a 12 year old middle schooler.  It took is 53 minutes or so to do 3.2 miles.  If you do the math that is just over a 16 minutes mile.  You see where this is going?  I didn’t!

Turns out my friend was training for a full marathon, 26.2 miles and this was one part of her training.  I was so excited to be doing this with her before I knew it I had agreed to run with her for a half marathon a month after her full marathon.  Just goes to show you some days I speak before I think.

So from that point February 24, 2013, becomes an ominous date on my calendar.  My friend sends me training schedules and a box of goodies for my birthday to help me train.  So the box goes under my desk and begins to gather dust.  Every so often I would walk around my neighborhood and call myself training.  Over the previous 12 months I had been seriously training on and off with the arbitrary idea that maybe one day I would run.  But I never took it serious.  I eventually gave up running and opted for the elliptical machine.  Then gave up on the elliptical all together.  So in January of 2013 I realize I have only roughly 9 weeks to train for an event that takes 6 months, give or take a few weeks, to train for.

After a few failed attempts to haul my lazy back outside and run I enlist my neighbors daughter next door.  She is thinking about going into the military and is interested in running in the afternoon.  So now I am bested by a 15 year old high schooler.

So during the last 2 months of “training” I go through new shoes, muscle cramps, heat waves, cold snaps and a sinus infection all the while 13.1 miles is starting to look really ominous.

In January, 5 weeks before my marathon, my friend runs her full marathon.  She gets up at 3:00 AM to be at the event by 4:00 so she can be at the starting gate at 5:00 so she can hurry up and wait for her corral to cross the start line at 5:48.  I was there to watch her start the race.  I was there to see her at the 4 mile mark.  I was there to see her at the 6 mile mark.  I was there at the 7 mile mark.  And I was at the finish when she was swept off of the course at the 18 mile mark because she fell too far behind the 16 minute mile “required” pace.  I was there to see her walk away from the marathon with her head held high and a smile on her face.  And I wondered if I could ever be that positive and upbeat.  I was ready to get serious…but was it too late?

So I did train more seriously and I started taking better care of my body, watching what I was eating, making sure I was drinking enough water and paying attention of my screaming knees.

So the weekend of my marathon finally gets here.  In my head I am telling myself that I can overcome anything and that 13.1 miles really isn’t THAT far. But my heart knows I didn’t train nearly as well as I should have.  The farthest I trained was just 2.8 miles.  But I have my gear, my energy boosters and I am at the starting line waiting for my corral to start at 6:18 and wondering if it is too late to back out.  My friend looks at me and tells me she knows I will finish but she has been battling a sinus infection for 5 days and isn’t sure she is going to finish.  So the fire works go off for us to go.  Within the first 5 minutes my friend is already struggling.  So I slow my pace to keep back with her, but she tells me to go.  After a few minutes trying to decide what the right thing to do is and wanting to give in to an easy out, she convinces me to go on and finish.  So I do.  I put in my earbuds and pace myself to the beat of the music and begin counting down the miles and looking forward to the water/Powerade stations.

During the race one of my favorite past times was looking st all of the cool outfits everyone wore.  Yes it was a Princess marathon, there were lots of Bell’s, Ariels, Cinderellas, but there were plenty of Prince Charmings.  One shirt a man was wearing said on the back “Why are all of these princesses chasing me?”  Then there was “Sorry Charming, gotta run.”  But my favorite was “I am running to free the ones who aren’t free to run…YET!”

I knew my friend was behind me somewhere and because of my husbands profession this time of year is not conducive to weekend outings, I knew I had no one cheering me on in the stands.  But thanks to modern technology, my family and friends were able to track my progress electronically.  So when I passes the sensors tracking my progress I truly felt up lifted.

Then one of the most amazing things happened.  There was an elderly couple on the sidelines along the course.  She was in a wheelchair and her husband was standing behind her.  She was holding a sign that said “Hello stranger!  I am cheering for you.”  It took my breath away.  Then I started noticing along the way several more signs: “Leave can’t in the dust”, “I see a pedicure in your future”, “Mind over Muscle” and my favorite “You look tired but my arms are killing me”, my very own Simon of Cyrene. This is important because at mile 6 I realize my left foot is bleeding.  I can only guess it is a blister that has burst and is bleeding.  And my right hand had swollen to twice its normal size.

But I persevere and I do finish and find out that my friend got swept st mile 6. Through my tears of amazement I ask for a medic and I get bandages for my toes and ice for my hand.  An hour later I realize I have a blister on the ball of my foot the size of a dime and one on the outside of heel half the length of my pinky, an all 10 of my toenails hurt.  That blew me away.

So now it is 30 hours since I crossed the finish line and I hurt in places I never imagined.  My toes still hurt and every muscle between my calves and shoulders scream in protest if I so much as breathe hard.  But I am so much more wise.

Today I am a runner.  Today I am stronger than I ever imagined.  Today I accept that I AM AN AMAZING WOMAN.

I finished a half marathon!  But I am a full princess!

Blessings,
Stefanie Michele

PS:  Be sure to check out the pictures in the photo gallery!

Lord of freedom and love, we are saddened to know that more than one million people are trafficked into slavery each year.

The effects of temporary slavery are felt in every country around the world.

As sisters and brothers, we are tormented by this reality that will leave devastating repercussions for generations to come.

Our hearts grieve for what our minds can barely comprehend, particularly when we hear of women, men, and children who are deceived and transported to unknown places.

We recognize this sexual and economic exploitation occurs because of human greed and profit.

We are sorrowful and our spirits angry that human dignity is being degraded through deception and threats of force.

Help violators be transformed and enlightened to realize the scope of their unjust actions.  Allow them to see the value and dignity of every human person.

As a people in solidarity with God’s poor, we must protest this atrocity and work against the demeaning practice of human trafficking.

Lord of Life, strengthen those whose hearts have been broken and lives uprooted.

Give us the light, grace, and courage to work with you so that we can all participate in the goodness of creation.

Fill us with the wisdom and courage to stand in solidarity with the victims so that we may all enjoy the freedom and rights which have their source in your Son and Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Prayer by S. Gen. Cassani, SSND

I have decided to post my entire Human Trafficking talk…  I hope this will inspire you to do one more thing!

Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Sunday and it is no coincidence that it coincides with Super Bowl Sunday.  Sadly Super Bowl week is THE biggest trafficking week of the year.

The term “Human Trafficking” was first used in 1988 but has only been in the forefront since 2006.

 The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines human trafficking as organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited.

 Trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to exploit human beings for some type of labor or commercial sex purpose.

 It is akin to modern-day slavery and today there are more than 30 million slaves in the world, more than at any other point in human history.

Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes that Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigates.

 Men, women and children are often lured with false promises of well paying jobs or are being manipulated by the people they trust, but instead are forced or coerced into domestic servitude, farm or factory labor or other types of forced labor and prostitution.

 Victor Hugo acknowledged, after the Civil War, that slavery still existed in the form of prostitution.

 We need to understand that prostitution does not apply only to women; it applies to men and women, adults and children.  These victims are often perceived to be criminals or sexual deviants or at best victims of their environment.  Even though these victims are desperate for survival, they do not choose to sell their bodies for profit.

 William Wilberforce said, “For trafficking to end it doesn’t need interested observers it needs incurable fanatics.  You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”

Do you have what it takes to become an incurable fanatic?  I don’t know.  But I have what it takes. I am an incurable fanatic and it is my mission to make sure you can recognize the signs of human trafficking.  If you think that you have encountered a victim of Human Trafficking ask yourself the following questions

• Are they underage and providing commercial sex acts?

• Are they in the commercial sex trade and have a pimp or a manager?

• Are they unpaid, paid very little or paid only through tips?

• Do they exhibit unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement?

• Are they in control of their own money, financial records or bank account?

• Do they have control over their own identification documentation?

• Are they able to speak for themselves or do they always allow others to answer for them?

Just as there is no one consistent face of the trafficking victim, there is no one consistent face of the trafficker.  Traffickers included individual pimps, small families or businesses; loose-knit decentralized criminal networks and international organized crime syndicates.

These criminals hide in the shadows. An illicit network of traffickers, pimps, recruiters, brothel owners, and johns preys on vulnerable men, women and children and forces them into a life of sexual commerce.

With all of this being said it is important to dispel certain misconceptions where human trafficking is concerned.

• Trafficking does not require physical force, physical abuse or physical restraint.  Psychological means of control, such as threats, or abuse of the legal process are sufficient elements of the crime.

• Victims often do not immediately seek help or self-identify as victims of a crime due to lack of trust, self-blame or training by the traffickers.

• Although poverty is highly correlated with human trafficking because it is often an indicator of vulnerability, poverty alone in not a single causal factor or universal indicator of a human trafficking victim.

•  A victim cannot consent to be in a situation of human trafficking.  Initial consent is not relevant to the crime, neither is payment.

As Catholics we must pledge to use the resources of the Church and community to help end this affliction. We must also pledge to use our teaching authority to educate Catholics and others about human trafficking. Human trafficking is a horrific crime against the basic dignity and rights of the human person. All efforts must be expended to end it. In the end, we must work together—Church, state, and community—to eliminate the root causes and markets that permit traffickers to flourish; to make whole the survivors of this crime; and to ensure that, one day soon, trafficking in human persons vanishes from the face of the earth.

 Florida’s Catholic communities represent a tremendous source of support for trafficking victims. Some Catholic Charities offices in Florida have contracts with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to provide assistance and case management to survivors of human trafficking. These services are made possible through a federal grant administered by USCCB.

 Now you must educate yourself… watch a movie/video about human trafficking, read a book, go to polarisproject.org, watch for news stories on television, attend a community class on the subject of Human Trafficking. Keep your eyes open…LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE. Report suspicious activity to the authorities and pray for victims and traffickers.

For more information please pick up today’s bulletin for a copy of the Prayer to End Human Trafficking.  I encourage you to pray with your Catholic community so you too can be an advocate and a voice for the invisible victims and End Human Trafficking.

Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself about the subject of Human Trafficking. Through education we can bring awareness.  Through awareness we can provide help. Through help we can provide hope.  Our Catholic Faith Calls Us To Action! 

One of the lesser known facts, or at least one of the least published facts, about Super Bowl week is that it is the biggest human sex trafficking week of the year.  As many as 17,500 people are trafficked with-in the United States each year and it is a multi-billion dollar a year industry.

Human trafficking is not an area I ever had any intention of getting involved in, however my parish priest thought I would be a good addition to our Diocesan ad hoc Committee for Human Trafficking.  So I agreed.  With this agreement came the  responsibility of giving a talk every Super Bowl Sunday before our congregation.  So every year I go through the “new” statistics.  I say “new” because, one, they never seem to really change.  Second, because we really have no way of gathering accurate statistics.  Very frustrating!  But every year (this year being the 3rd year) I have the same argument with a specific member of my parish…How reliable are my statistics?…Am I educating the public or am I causing people to cast doubt in the wrong direction? (asking people to look for a problem where one doesn’t exist)…Do I realize that my talk borders on the lines of the “Pro-Choice” movement? (Because Capital Hill is using the ever increasing numbers of human trafficking victims to further the abortion agenda)….So forth and so on….

But the real reason I have committed myself to the human trafficking movement has a bit to do with survivors guilt.  Not that I have been a victim of human trafficking, but I do know, through interviews, documentaries, summit meetings and continued classes they have shown me that a large number of human trafficking victims are first victims of childhood sexual assault.  So I ask myself, “What makes me different?” “What makes me special?” “Why not me?”  I don’t know, but all I can say is “There but for the grace of God go I!”

William Wilberforce once said, “For (human) trafficking to end it doesn’t need interested observers it needs incurable fanatics.  You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”

So I guess this categorizes me as an incurable fanatic!

Why do I continue to fight when I am so tired my brain refuses to go on?  So that one less person can see there is life after hell!

Blessings,
Stefanie Michele

Welcome to CSAST (pronounced cast)!  This web site was designed specifically for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.  This site has been a long time in the making.  The idea has been kicked around for years but it is now that I have the time and resources to devote to the site and the cause.

I will use the blog as an outlet for thoughts and ideas.  It won’t be updated everyday, but I hope it will give you an insight to the “inner workings” of the day to day survivor.  To read more about my story please click on my name on the right side of your screen.

On the left of the screen there are links to many articles, other helpful websites as well as a link on the home page to a Yahoo! group for adult survivors.  Some days we just need to know that we are not alone in our day to day fight.

I look forward to being able to help you as you journey toward healing.

Blessings,
Stefanie Michele