For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Vannini She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. Zanini, Roberto Italo (2013). Beatified: May 17, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. 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. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed. She was of the Daju people; her respected and reasonably prosperous father was a brother of the village chief. She was surrounded by a loving family of three brothers and three sisters; as she says in her autobiography: "I lived a very happy and carefree life, without knowing what suffering was".[5]. [20], On 7 December 1893, Josephine Bakhita entered the novitiate of the Canossian Sisters and on 8 December 1896, she took her vows, welcomed by Cardinal Sarto. I am dark but beautiful: this is her song of love, the gift of her closeness to those who seek her as a humble sister freed from the love that God has planted in our hearts. Born in the village of Olgossa (Darfur, Sudan) in 1869, Bakhita had a twin sister, she was loved and she lived peacefully. On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. In the slave markets, where she was put up for sale, she always hoped to recognize her sister who had been kidnapped two years before her. To this end, we invite you to learn more about the life of an extraordinary trafficking survivor from history. When she was on door duty, she would gently lay her hands on the heads of the children who attended the nearby school and caress them. Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. She became a novice at the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows in 1896. Renew your gift subscription It wasnt long before Bakhita realized they were lost. Josephine Bakhita entered the convent in 1893 and took her vows December 8, 1896. 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. Bilinge: Encontrando a Dios / Finding God, Encontrando a Dios / Finding God (Espaol), Encontrando a Dios / Finding God (English), Catequistas Y Maestros / Catechists & Teachers, En El Orden Restaurado: Descripcion Del Programa, Nuestra Seora De GuadalupeOur Lady of Guadalupe. [24], The petitions for her canonization began immediately, and the process commenced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, twelve years after her death. Born in Darfur in 1869, Josephine Bakhita was taken by Arab slave traders when she was 9. Daughter of St. Magdalene. Something maybe not as well-known about St. Josephine Bakhita is that her body was scarred all over. Pay Your Bill, SUBSCRIBE TO OSV KIDS 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 Vatican City, Feb 3, 2022 / 10:15 am (CNA). St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Those who lived with her still permit us to meet her: smiling like a mother, serene and calm because she has no enemies while expressing herself with affectionate tenderness. She lay in state for three days, and mourners noticed that her limbs remained flexible. Saint Bakhita is still with us today. The details and exact timing of her emancipation vary, but it seems that the mother superior petitioned the Italian authorities on Josephines behalf, and the issue was brought before the court. Her constant smile, humility and simplicity won peoples hearts. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. She then remained in the catechumenate for four more years. She was beatified on May 17, 1992, by Pope John Paul II and canonized by him on October 1, 2000. At some point during her captivity she was given the name Bakhita, which is Arabic for fortunate., One of her early captors forced her to serve as a maid. She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors. [2] She was one of the Daju people;[3][4] her respected and reasonably prosperous father was brother of the village chief. Her most Get Access Saint Rita Research Paper Saint Rita of Cascia was a girl who always showed an early desire to become a noun at a young age. Amen. The school was run by the Canossian Sisters. Who are the immigrants in your local community? Mother Josephine Bakhita - Vatican St. Josephine Bakhita Novena | Pray Catholic Novenas Assisted suicide in the United States: Where is it legal? Her only extended time away was between 1935 and 1939, when she stayed at the Missionary Novitiate in Vimercate (Milan); mostly visiting other Canossian communities in Italy, talking about her experiences and helping to prepare young sisters for work in Africa. Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. Her uncle was a tribal chief, and her family was relatively prosperous. She who worked under many masters was finally happy to address God as master and carry out everything that she believed to be Gods will for her. Thus, from 13 to 16 years old she experienced a Christian welcome and civil respect. Bakhita Charities is named after her. While she was in the custody of the sisters, she came to learn about God. He did not waver and was adamant that Bakhita was free and had the right to choose, since slavery no longer existed in Italy. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to Gods people as a Canossian Sister. Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. And the shining figure in the night? In some instances these are homes that hosted her during her life, and which have now been made available for humanitarian corridors as in Olate in the province of Lecco or they are employment training centres, even places to play football in high risk areas. She was kidnapped by slave traders at the age of seven; they gave her the name Bakhita, which means lucky. She died in 1947 in Italy. On 1 October 2000, she was canonized as Saint Josephine Bakhita. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. After the years of trauma that she endured, she did not remember the name her parents had given her and went by Bakhita from then on. Their chance came one day when the overseer carelessly left them unchained and alone. Everyone assured us that they had met her. Historians believe that sometime in February 1877, Josephine was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. She said, "A woman skilled in this cruel art came to the general's house. The first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. Bakhita wanted to become a Christian, to receive baptism. 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. Saint Josephine Bakhita | uCatholic On January 9, 1890, she was baptized and confirmed and received her first Holy Communion. Sculpture of Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron of human trafficking Her story is noteworthy. A total of 114 intricate patterns were cut into her breasts, belly and into her right arm.[13][14]. Mothers lifted her hands and placed them on the heads of their children, praying for her blessing. When Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. She was known for her charisma and gentleness and even expressed gratitude that her past horrors had brought her to her current life. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. 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. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. Which services in your area address the needs of women and children in poverty? Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Spend some time reflecting on areas of your life where you are not free. She arrived in Italy for the first time. Death: February 8, 1947. Read his story here. She felt that she had always known God as the creator of all things and was deeply moved by the story of Jesus and by the answers she received from the sisters. 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. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. As punishment, she was beaten so severely she was incapacitated for a month. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . (ca. [19] On 9 January 1890, Bakhita was baptized with the names of 'Josephine Margaret' and 'Fortunata' (the Latin translation of the Arabic Bakhita). When visited and asked how she was, shed respond: "As the Master desires.". According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. Bakhita Charities for Southern Africa, Inc. 2014 by Bakhita Charities Created with wix.com, 2014 by Bakhita Charities Created with w. 3) Her feast day marks an international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. As she said: If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, or even those who tortured me, I would kneel down and kiss their hands. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Updates? 1) Sudanese-Italian Canossian nun who survived 12 years of brutal slavery. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. Her fourth owner was a Turkish general, and she had to serve his mother-in-law and his wife, who were cruel to their slaves. 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. Bakhita wished to stay in Italy when her owners readied for a relocation. Bakhita Charities is named after her. According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. Daily Prayer. MISSION: As a girl, Bakhita would look up at the moon and stars, resolving to serve their Master. She was forced to walk barefoot about 960 kilometres (600mi) to El-Obeid and was sold and bought twice before she arrived there. Josephine was born in the Daju village of Olgossa in Darfur. Saint Bakhita lived long ago. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Once liberated from your physical enslavement, One year later, when Mrs Michieli returned to take her daughter and Bakhita back to Suakin, she refused for the first time. In 2000, she was declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. She was given to people she did not know, albeit with the promise of good treatment, but as she left Genoa her heart was in turmoil. "[10], She once said that the most terrifying of all of her memories there was when she (along with other slaves) was marked by a process resembling both scarification and tattooing, which was a traditional practice throughout Sudan. Birth: 1869. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights.. She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of 7, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which meansfortunate. Saint Josephine Bakhita was born to a wealthy family in Sudan in 1869. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! Saints for kids Born in 19 th century Sudan, Josephine Bakhita was the furthest thing from Italian. The assignment was easy until she offended her owner's son, possibly for the crime of breaking a vase. Spanish court to investigate artists for exhibiting blasphemous sculptures, Full text of Bishop Paul Coakleys pastoral letter on gender dysphoria, transgender movement, Hundreds of faithful gather in prayer for Pope Francis at Budapests oldest parish church, Pope Francis says he did not lose consciousness before hospitalization in March, Pope Francis warns of technological domination, threat to human ecology at university in Hungary, The Good Shepherd calls us to open our hearts to love, Pope Francis says at Mass in Hungary, TEXT: Dont be couch potatoes! Pope Francis urges youth. Her owners named her Bakhita, Arabic for lucky or fortunate. In 2018, we published the testimonies of those who actually knew Mother Bakhita. Saint Josephine Bakhita- Patron Saint of Human Trafficking Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. Bakhita: From Slave to Saint by Roberto Italo Zanini | Goodreads Suakin on the Red Sea was besieged but remained in Anglo-Egyptian hands. The Archbishop who gave her the sacraments was none other than Giusseppe Sarto, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, who would later become Pope Pius X. Josephine became a novice with the CanossianDaughters of Charity religious order on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows on December 8, 1896. Someone asked her, "How are you? 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. If Catholic Online has given you $5.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. Does the Bible Have Anything to do with My Life? St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online She said, "during that time I could hear more and more clearly the gentle voice of the Lord, urging me to consecrate myself to God. She passed away on February 8, 1947. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. 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. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. The theme: With Bakhita at the school of humanity was chosen in Schio following an encounter between the Schio-Sudan Bakhita Association, the parish of Saint Peters, where theShrine of Saint Bakhita is located and we Canossian sisters, members of the community where Mother Moretta (Black Mother) lived, almost continuously, from 1902 until 8 February 1947. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. Not a a day went by without wounds being inflicted on her body. Sadly, the news of her beatification in 1992 was censored in Sudan. Two years later, he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! In St. Josephine Bakhita we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. When she had made her patterns; the woman took the razor and made incisions along the lines. When she died her tenderness transfused into her mortal flesh and carried on attracting people. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. Saint Josephine, affectionately known as Bakhita (fortunate one), was born in the southern Sudan region of Darfur. Of that traumatic mutilation she reportedly said, I thought I would die, especially when salt was poured in the woundsit was by a miracle of God I didnt die. Saint Alexander's feast day is February 26. The sisters answered her questions. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Learn about their countries of origin, customs, and current needs. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. As punishment for clumsiness, she was beaten so severely that she was incapacitated for a month and was sold again when she recovered. Everything is amazing in her, just as the restoring water which gushes out of a spring! He had destined me for better things." Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. Without hesitation, she replied: "If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands. She was declared free. Her story is noteworthy. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. Josephine Bakhita - Wikipedia By William Hartston 00:00, Thu, May 29, 2014 Bookmark. She would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse. They brought her back to Italy to work as a maid and care giver to their baby, Mimmina. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. She then died. She was declared free. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online The amazement of being so loved flowed from her heart as a river of tenderness that comforted, in a multiplicity of expressions, with the indelible touch of her presence. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. St Josephine Bakhita, also known as 'Mother Moretta' was kidnapped at the age of nine and sold into slavery. St. Josephine Bakhita - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News Amen. Episcopal Church in the United States of America, "AFROL Background Josephine Bakhita an African Saint", "Canossian Daughters of Charity Who We Are", Black Catholic Theology: A Historical Perspective, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josephine_Bakhita&oldid=1152154584, 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns, Sudanese Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns, Christian female saints of the Late Modern era, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using Template:Post-nominals with customized linking, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1 October 2000, St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 15:04. We do not know her exact birthdate, but we know that she was born in the village of Olgossa, which is near Darfur, Sudan. Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. Everyone plays a rolein helping to end human trafficking. Canonized: October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. One of her owners was a Turkish general who gave her to his wife and mother-in-law who both beat her daily.