Fr. M. Jeffery Bayhi was ordained in 1979, and he’s spent a lifetime working with men and women all over the world to build coalitions that help the most vulnerable. He has worked extensively with student ministries, prison ministries and mental health. He has a powerful ability to recruit – to convince
people to start and join movements that change things.

An Italian nun, Sister Eugenia Bonetti, introduced Fr. Bayhi to the work that has become central to his life: the rescue and recovery of victims of sex trafficking. Sr. Bonetti taught him that sex trafficking isn’t just an international crisis; it’s happening in our own backyard.

The Texas-to-Florida corridor is a major route for human trafficking. In 2017, Louisiana identified more than 1,000 victims within the state. More than 70 of those were under the age of 12 and desperately in need of a safe place focused on their unique needs to rebuild and recover.

In response to this epidemic, Fr. Bayhi returned to the pattern of work he knows best – recruiting allies within the church, philanthropy and government. Together, they built Metanoia Manor, a facility for young female victims of trafficking. The facility is the first of its kind in Louisiana.

Today, Metanoia Manor can house up to 16 girls at a time and is staffed 24/7 by professionals and Catholic nuns who work to meet the educational, developmental, mental and physical needs of residents. Through faith, devotion and love, the Metanoia team rebuilds the self-confidence of women and girls whose lives were stolen by sex slavery, and helps them transform into productive members of society who will not be defined by their past.