https://www.britannica.com/biography/Josephine-Bakhita, Pope Francis venerating St. Josephine Bakhita. On 17 May 1992, she was declared Blessed and given 8 February as her feast day. In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. Would she be treated like a slave again or could she still hope to have the human dignity she had experienced in the consuls home? They travelled a risky 650-kilometre (400mi) trip on camelback to Suakin, which was the largest port of Sudan. In 1883, Bakhita was sold to an Italian family who treated her with kindness and respect. Through Christ Our Lord. During World War II, the people of the village of Schio regarded her as their protector. Born in Darfur in 1869, Josephine Bakhita was taken by Arab slave traders when she was 9. Josephine Bakhita (c. 1869 - 8 February 1947) was a Sudanese-born former slave who became a Roman Catholic Canossian nun in Italy, living and working there for 45 years. We do not know her exact birthdate, but we know that she was born in the village of Olgossa, which is near Darfur, Sudan. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. St. Josephine BakhitaA Model of Faith. Tarjeta De Oracin De Nuestra Seora De Guadalupe, Tres Maneras Para Obtener Un Mejor Provecho De La Misa. She was forced to wear heavy chains to prevent her from escaping, as she had tried to do by enteringthe forest, where she experienced for the first time the guidance of a divine light; but, having avoided the danger of the jaws of fierce beasts, she was once again captured by deception. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. The woman had a dish of white flour, a dish of salt and a razor. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed. Saint Josephine Bakhita- Patron Saint of Human Trafficking Bakhita replied, "Yes, I am so happy: Our Lady Our Lady!" . Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. As punishment, she was beaten so severely she was incapacitated for a month. Born in 19 th century Sudan, Josephine Bakhita was the furthest thing from Italian. Saint Bakhita lived long ago. She would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. They brought her back to Italy to work as a maid and care giver to their baby, Mimmina. She lay in state for three days, and mourners noticed that her limbs remained flexible. He was a much kinder master and he did not beat her. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. It seemed that Bakhita had failed in her quest for freedom. Over the course of twelve years (18771889) she was sold three more times and then she was finally given her freedom. Saint Gabriel Francis Possenti's feast day is February 28. Another owner, a Turkish general, gave Josephine to his wife and mother-in-law, who would beat her daily. She was loved by many in the city and was a bastion of comfort during the trials and bombings of World War II. Her voice was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering. This decentralization from herself manifested a creative generosity; for this was already the beginning of a path of redemption that rooted altruism in her. She is a shining ray of hope for human trafficking victims and an inspirational demonstration of how a victim can recover from their trauma and become whole again. Her story of deliverance from physical slavery also symbolises all those who find meaning and inspiration in her life for their own deliverance from spiritual slavery. In total, she bore 144 physical scars for the rest of her life. She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". Despite the trauma that Bakhita endured, she was able to find direction and value in her life, which can serve as an example and a solace to all who suffer, especially those who have been exploited. On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. It is the process of life that discovers happiness in being free in order to free humanity (n. 9-10, n. 114, n. 188, n. 213, n. 224); we are called to live a happy friendship as a fullness of humanity (n. 8, n. 27, n. 91-92, n. 200) and to communicate it with the humanizing power of tenderness (n. 88, n. 270- 272, n. 274, n. 284). She was five years old when her older sister was kidnapped and when Bakhita was about seven years old, she experienced the same tragedy herself. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Vannini Bakhita was baptized in January 1890 and took the name Josephine. If you are one of our rare donors, you have our gratitude and we warmly thank you. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. This ironic new name did not describe the brutal and humiliating treatment Bakhita received on a daily basis. She is also a patron saint for victims of slavery and trafficked persons. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. After that, she was sold. In her final days she relived the agony of her enslavement and is said to have called out, Please, loosen the chains. She was given away to another family as a gift and she served them as a nanny. Her uncle was a tribal chief, and her family was relatively prosperous. *Director of the archives of the Shrine of Saint Josephme Bakhita in Schio, LOsservatore Romano14 February 2020, page 8, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. She was sold several times, and had eight masters, including the intermediaries, like the kidnappers, who sought the propitious opportunity to resell her for a greater profit. He rejoiced at seeing her again. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. "It is an act of justice for the rich to help the poor." Saint Josephine, affectionately known as Bakhita ("fortunate one"), was born in the southern Sudan region of Darfur. Everything in her reveals an inner order, a reflection of a healthy and good nature. Privacy Statement, Five ways for parents to prepare children for First Holy Communion, Four quick and crafty ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with Catholic kids, 9 tips for a successful family prayer time. Their chance came one day when the overseer carelessly left them unchained and alone. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin. How can you, your family, or an organization you belong to reach out in solidarity. so that they will be released from their chains of captivity. On 1 October 2000, she was canonized as Saint Josephine Bakhita. Her new family also had dealings in Sudan had when her mistress decided to travel to Sudan without Josephine, she placed her in the custody of the Canossian Sisters in Venice. Beatified: May 17, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to Gods people as a Canossian Sister. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. By. Bakhita lived and worked in various locations in Africa until an Italian consul bought her and moved his family back to their hometown of Schio, Italy. Heavenly Father, through the intercession of Saint Bakhita, grant us a poor and simple heart, like that of Mary and of your Son who became poor for the love of us. In 2000, she was declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Three fundamental passages: relationships are formed from an encounter which make us a people. Her life was forever altered when she was kidnapped from her family as a young child and enslaved by Arab slave traders, likely in early 1877. She had freely chosen to belong to God, by whom she felt loved, and accepted once again the separation from those she loved. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. With your help we can eradicate human trafficking in our lifetime. [9], In El-Obeid, Bakhita was bought by a rich Arab who used her as a maid for his two daughters. On 29 November 1889, at the Catechumens, something similar to a trial took place regarding her choice not to return to the life of slavery, and she was declared free. On the same day, she was also confirmed and received Holy Communion from Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice and later Pope Pius X. (Fortunata is the Latin translation for her Arabic name, Bakhita). For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. The Canossian Sisters went to court on her behalf and helped her obtain her freedom. MISSION: As a girl, Bakhita would look up at the moon and stars, resolving to serve their Master. It is said that the trauma of her abduction caused her to forget her original name; she took one given to her by the slavers, bakhta (), Arabic for 'lucky' or 'fortunate'. In 1883, Bakhita was bought in Khartoum by the Italian Vice Consul Callisto Legnani, who did not beat or punish her. Which services in your area address the needs of women and children in poverty? 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". Saint Josephine Bakhita: From Slave to Saint - Diocese of Westminster Thank you. She even received a new name at her baptism: Josephine Margaret Bakhita. [15] The Turkish general began making preparations to return to his homeland and sold his slaves. My face was spared, but 6 patterns were designed on my breasts, and 60 more on my belly and arms. Someone asked her, "How are you? Amen. She wanted to be good, to obey the one who gave her joy in following his voice that enlightened her from the heart. Her trauma was so great that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita which means fortunate. The testimonies present us her filial, apostolic which will see us meet again in Heaven and fraternal friendship. Josephine celebrated the sacraments of initiation, receiving the name Josephine. She then died. Saint Bakhita still continues to intercede, to operate, to help, to solve the insoluble problems of those who turn to her and those who do not yet know her. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885. " Her life in captivity wasn't quite so. Daily Prayer. The figure pointed the way to go, and Bakhita led her companion in that direction. Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. She left Suakin, then a flourishing port on the Red Sea, and arrived in Genoa where she witnessed what Italian migrants, leaving the same port to look for work, would experience on their arrival in foreign lands. For, if these things had not happened, I would not have been a Christian and a religious today". She used to tell the teachers in the community "You teach catechism, I will stay in the chapel and pray for you that you may teach well.". One year later, when Mrs Michieli returned to take her daughter and Bakhita back to Suakin, she refused for the first time. Saint of the Day for Monday, May 1st, 2023. In 2000, she was declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. The Michielis brought Bakhita with them back to the Sudan where they stayed for nine months before returning to Italy. Indeed, there are over 30,000 faithful who have been coming annually to Schio to [visit] Saint Bakhita from every region of Italy and from all the continents. Her body lay on display for three days afterwards. Born in a village in Sudan, kidnapped by slavers, often beaten and abused, and later sold to Federico Marin, a Venetian merchant, Bakhita then came to Italy and became the nanny servant of Federico's daughter, Aurora, who had lost her mother at birth. This is the secret of her inner freedom, of her upstanding will, of her courageous choices born of a hope which does not disappoint, but sustains faith and charity of heart. She felt that she was always walking in the light, guided by the One she did not know, but who she knew was present in the circumstances that brought her to Italy, allowing her to know and love Jesus who for us who are His children was crucified, and she was joyful to belong to him as his bride. He had paid for her journey and had entrusted her to friends in Genoa, provided that they treated her well, thus guaranteeing her food, home and a job. Her memories remind us that what bonds us is the same need for love, well beyond our individual beliefs. ATIs tools are designed to ensure that your efforts deliver effective results. This was the school of the Creator that she attended after the school of her family, which she always longed for. Learn more about the people of Sudan and the ongoing conflict in their country. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. 1869 8 February 1947) was a Sudanese-Italian Canossian religious sister who lived in Italy for 45 years, after having been a slave in Sudan. Saint Angela of Foligno's feast day is February 28. For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. Saint Josephine Bakhita Saint stories - Teaching Catholic Kids Pay Your Bill, SUBSCRIBE TO OSV KIDS One of her owners was a Turkish general who gave her to his wife and mother-in-law who both beat her daily. She was often beaten and kicked and whipped. Learn about their countries of origin, customs, and current needs. Bakhita is a saint in the Catholic Church. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery as a child This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf. If Catholic Online has given you $5.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. We are a team of people dedicated to defeating the scourge of human trafficking through uniquely targeted programs. She was resold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan. Even while she was outwardly denied freedom and human dignity, her spirit was free. Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! Saints for kids Whether airline employees, medical professionals, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, or businesses,ATI stops trafficking before it startsby partnering with you at the community-level toeliminate the threat. [26] On 10 February 1993, he solemnly honoured Bakhita on her own soil. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery, and welcoming visitors at the door. She was baptized on January 9, 1890 and took the name Josephine Margaret and Fortunata. In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. Bakhita became a nanny for her new family, and she and her young charge lived at the convent run by the Canossian Sisters in Venice. On that 8 February 1947, young and old still sought her for a greeting, to touch her hand, still soft and warm, and to receive a last caress from her: they wanted to hold her forever. By the end of 1882, El-Obeid came under the threat of an attack of Mahdist revolutionaries. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". When Pope Francis enlightens us on social justice, to give us the joy of the Gospel, he seems to illustrate the program already carried out by Saint Bakhita that uses the word humanity to describe what, instead, was inhuman, such as the treatment of slaves. Death: February 8, 1947. What was she known for? Given the name "Bakhita", which means "lucky one" Tortured, abused, and mutilated Forced to receive over 60 tattoos made painfully with a razor and salt Finally at age 14 she was a nanny to an Italian family Learned about God from the Sisters of Charity while attending to a Christian child Josephine Bakhita is the Patron Saint of Human Trafficking. Updates? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Although the figure led Bakhita and her friend safely out of the wilderness, the girls were caught by another slaver late the next day and sold on. Josephine Bakhita was made a saint on by October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul ll. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs. At her canonization ceremony on October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II said of St. Josephine: In todays world, countless women continue to be victimized, even in developed modern societies. Her body may have been devastated by cruelty, but not her soul, which was always aware of an innate dignity which only we can destroy in ourselves. This African flower, who knew the anguish of kidnapping and slavery, bloomed marvelously in Italy, in response to God's grace, with the Daughters of Charity. She has her M.S. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. Bakhita's skin underwent the painful and horrendous Sudanese custom of scarring slaves - where a pattern was cut into the skin with a razor.
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