Social Justice

As the nation marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day Jan. 11, women religious in the U.S. are combating modern slavery with prayer and education.

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia announced Dec. 1 the appointment of Heather Huot as that archdiocese’s secretary for Catholic Human Services, overseeing three agencies — Catholic Social Services, Catholic Housing and Community Services and Nutritional Development Services — that combine to form the largest faith-based human services provider in southeastern Pennsylvania.

In the past 12 months, an extraordinary level of nationwide activity — organizing, strikes, negotiations and new contracts — has signaled increased influence for American labor unions, which once counted 21 million U.S. workers among their ranks.