Lent and Trafficking at Sea

The season of Lent, from March 5th, 2025, to April 17th, 2025, calls Catholics to remember the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus’s life and prepare for the resurrection. During this time, individuals traditionally refrain from consuming meat, from land animals, on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday, and instead primarily consume seafood and other means. However, other means of fasting can be practiced such as traditional fasting, with smaller meals, or refraining from utilizing common luxuries.  

During Lent, we are called to reflect on the intake of supply chains and both positive and negative connotations that can come from such instances. One nature is the essence of consuming more seafood during Lent and abstaining from the amount of meat that we eat. The preparation and consumption process of meat, especially beef, introduces a higher volume of greenhouse gases which aids in the higher percentage of global warming.   

Although we traditionally consume more seafood and fish during the Lenten season, we must be careful what brands and products we purchase. Many brands can be tainted by labor trafficking, which as Catholics we need to make informed choices. Instead, we must educate and advocate for those within the fishing industry and petition companies from utilizing such avenues of obtaining product when tainted by this modern-day slavery.  

While there is much to do to combat the issue of human and labor trafficking, especially during the season of Lent, organizations and agencies nationwide promote initiatives to end such tragedy in the seafood industry. The Labeling for Lent Campaign is one of the many initiatives that strive towards ending human and labor trafficking, especially within the seafood industry.

Through this initiative of “the Coalition of Catholic Organizations against Human Trafficking" (COMPASS) we urge seafood producers, distributors, and retailers to ensure clean supply chains, product labeling and transparent policies uphold the dignity of workers rights, and enforce ethical supply chains. Prioritizing these needs provides consumers with the peace of mind to be consuming "slave-free" foods and goods, allowing opportunity for education, awareness, and room for improvement as trends change.

During the Lenten season we are encouraged to consume more seafood. However, as Catholics it is important that we know where our seafood originates, how it is produced, and how it is distributed. The 2024 U.S. Department of Labor, “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor” report added Indian shrimp, as a product of concern which has been linked to slave labor. Today, India supplies 40% of the U.S. shrimp market. The rise in Indian shrimp imports followed similar labor exploitation revelations in Thailand.

How can you help?

• Read about our Labeling for Lent Campaign this year, and how we have decided to use this time to advocate and raise awareness about the Shrimp Industry in the US.
• Read more about the details and stories of victims working conditions in the Shrimp Market, read Hidden Harvest: Human Rights and Environmental Abuses in India’s Shrimp Industry, Corporate Accountability Lab (March 2024).
• Fill out this form to sign our petition on Indian Shrimp.
• Watch our Lenten Reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcS9G6DHzZw

What's New?

Rethinking Migration Narratives Conference 

Earlier this month, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops partnered with The Catholic University of America to facilitate a working conference surrounding reshaping migration narratives. Partners and people from all over the United States came to the conference to discuss the nature of migration in the world today and how to restructure the way that one thinks about migration, especially through narratives. This was a three-day conference, from March 3rd to 5th, encompassing various panel discussions, workshops, and ended with an advocacy day on Capitol Hill. Overall, it was a profound experience for many of the participants and a way to bring humanness to the issue of migration within the United States.  

Prayer

Lord God, redeemer and inspiration of souls, in the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, you have provided a light in the storm. By her favor and prayer, grant that we may set a course through these times to reach our safe haven in heaven with you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen

https://www.usccb.org/resources/Stella Maris Liturgy Guide.pdf

We are thrilled to announce that we have a new St. Bakhita prayer card! Amy Heyse painted the beautiful piece of art that graces the front. Although we cannot print to order, we can share with you a PDF version of the prayer card.

We also have the prayer card available in Spanish, please email [email protected]

If you want to learn more about the USCCB/MRS'

Anti-Trafficking Program, reach out to:

Felicitas Brugo Onetti

Anti-Trafficking Education and Outreach Coordinator

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 541-3064