Read this two-part series on how recent visitors to the Diocese of Parramatta, Mother Corazon Salazar and her fellow sisters of Mary Queen of Heaven Missionaries (MQHM), have entered brothels and bars in the Philippines to rescue women and children from the clutches of sex trafficking, offering education, rehabilitation – and offer a path to Christ’s love.
Healing trauma through Christ’s love
The MQHM sisters’ rehabilitation work at their Home of Love shelters in Cebu, Philippines, and now Los Angeles, California, focuses on comprehensive healing for trafficking survivors.
The shelter’s very name – Home of Love – reflects their Christ-centred approach.
Sister Glecy shared the story of a child who had experienced severe trauma. “She was a victim of incest since age seven up to age 10, then she ran away from home.
“From 10 to 13, she became a prostitute on the street, then the sister found her on the street.”
The girl’s trauma was so deep that she refused to bathe, associating it with preparation for seeing clients.
“The sisters would pull her into the bathroom just to clean her. And then there were lots of times that she would run away, then would come back again.”
When asked why she kept returning despite running away, the girl answered:
“This is the only place where I felt that I am being loved.”
That simple yet profound realisation represents the heart of their ministry.
“By helping them, by making them realise that they are being loved, we are showing them that God really exists, that God is love, and this is how we show God’s love through the programs,” Sister Glecy explained.
The rehabilitation process includes education, livelihood training, skills development, counselling, therapy sessions, childcare and spiritual formation.
Many of the rescued women and girls complete university educations and find dignified employment.
Some even become advocates themselves, helping others escape exploitation.
Expanding Christ’s mercy throughout the world
What began as a local ministry in the Philippines has expanded globally.
In 2023, the sisters opened a Regina Coeli Home of Love shelter in Los Angeles, California, recognising that trafficking is a global problem.
With California having the highest trafficking rate in the United States, they felt called to extend their ministry of healing.
The organisation has received recognition for its transparency and effectiveness, earning a Platinum Transparency Rating from CANDID, placing them among the top 1 per cent of non-profits nationally.
Prominent supporters include Mira Sorvino, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime who focuses on anti-trafficking initiatives.
Mira Sorvino. Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Mother Corazon emphasised that their work depends on divine providence and the generosity of donors.
“We don’t have regular funders. We are looking for those who would be helping, but the Lord is providing what we need.”
The sisters conduct mission appeals in dioceses throughout the United States and have partnered with organisations worldwide. Their website offers opportunities for donations and volunteer involvement.
Living Christ’s commandment of love
The success stories from their shelters testify to the transformative power of Christ’s love. Women and children who experienced unimaginable trauma find healing and hope, often becoming sources of hope for others.
As Mother Corazon reflected, “Our ministry is done through perfect love and charity.
“That’s what is inculcated in all of our minds and heart, that we have to give perfect love and charity to be able to help those who want to be helped.”
The sisters see their work not merely as social service but as participation in Christ’s redemptive mission.
By investing women and children with the Brown Scapular – a sign of Mary’s protection – they place these vulnerable souls under the mantle of the Mother of God, just as the disciple John was entrusted to Mary at the foot of the cross.
Today, the fruits of their ministry are evident in the many survivors who have completed university education and found dignified employment.
Some former victims even join the mission themselves, sharing their stories and encouraging others to seek help – a testament to the power of Christ’s love to not only heal but transform lives into instruments of His mercy.
Their pink habits have become a symbol of hope in the darkest corners of society, their lives a testament to Cardinal Vidal’s prophetic words about bearing fruit.
Through education, rescue, and rehabilitation, the Mary Queen of Heaven Missionaries continue to fulfill their calling to transform lives through Christ’s perfect love.
The sisters maintain shelters not only in Cebu but also in Los Angeles, California, where trafficked women from around the world can find refuge and support.
To support the missionary sisters in this vital ministry, visit www.mqhm.org.
The Diocese of Parramatta reaffirms the wise axiom attributed to St Augustine of Hippo: “in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, freedom; in all things, charity.” In this spirit, Catholic Outlook publishes a variety of catholic viewpoints. They are not necessarily the official views of the Diocese of Parramatta.
