For more than 50 years, Sister Helen Buscarino brought the fundamentals of Catholic faith and general education to hundreds of students throughout western New York, Brooklyn, and in San Antonio, Texas. Her education ministry was always important to her, but Sister Helen had a special attraction to social justice causes. At 95 years old, she is an active member of the Peace and Justice Committee of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities.
Several years ago the community took an official stand against human trafficking, pledging to educate themselves and the general public about the extent of what Pope Francis called “modern day slavery.” She recently read a news article about the connection between human trafficking and online pornography and learned that 15 states had passed a resolution calling for that Sister Helen
A news article she read recently noted the connection between human trafficking and online pornography; it referenced a resolution passed by 15 states that refers to pornography as a public health hazard and calls for education and prevention. When Sister Helen learned that New York was not among the 15 states that has passed the resolution, she contacted the New York State senator representing her district and asked for a meeting.
Sister Helen shared with Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer the article and told him she was “disappointed” that New York was not among the states adopting the resolution.
“As people of integrity, your prime goal should be the promotion of the common good and the wellbeing of the citizens in your care,” she said. “The availability of the internet exposes youngsters to what used to be referred to as ‘hard core pornography,’ a great evil that has gripped our youth.”
Sen. Ranzenhofer promised Sister Helen that he would research the issue to determine whether this or a similar resolution has been introduced in New York. He said that he would “see what needs to be done,” and he promised Sister Helen that he would update her on all state Senate activities regarding human trafficking.
Following the appointment, Sister Helen was pleased that the senator and his chief counsel had agreed to meet with her and to follow up on the resolution. “The article I read so moved me that I said, ‘Lord, before I die I want to do something good!’”
