RENATE online Prayer Service, 1 February 2024.
APT members joined with colleagues from Europe, Africa & North America who gathered together in prayer online, at 17:00 (IST) on Thursday, 1 February, St. Brigid’s Day.
This was an event hosted by the RENATE Europe network in preparation for this year’s International Day of Prayer & Awareness against Human Trafficking, 8 February, 2024.
The service was prepared by the RENATE House of Prayer task group, led by APT member Eilis Coe, RSC. And as the Prayer Service took place on St. Brigid’s Day, it was only appropriate that we incorporate a ‘Pause for peace’ into the Prayer Service, in honour of St. Brigid and consonant with the value of peace which Brigid stood for in her time.
It was particularly special that APT member Sr. Theresa Kilmurray, CSB Congregational Leadership Team, attended and read two of the Reflections. One centred on the impacts of such grave issues as conflicts, climate change, and economic downturns continuing to dominate the world stage and influence national political agendas, and how around the world today, millions of victims of human trafficking are going unnoticed, many of them walk among us in everyday life, on street corners and construction sites, or in factories and public venues. The other reflection urged us , through our human interconnectedness, to grow in the responsibility of caring for one another and for Mother Earth.
The service ran for 40 minutes and concluded with some time for those present to interact and share friendly greetings.