She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. She had brothers, sisters, and loving parents. Bakhita replied, "Yes, I am so happy: Our Lady Our Lady!" Her trauma was so great that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita which means fortunate. Does the Bible Have Anything to do with My Life? The terrified girl was bought and sold at least two times over the next few months and forced to walk hundreds of miles on foot to a slave market in Al-Ubayyi in south-central Sudan. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. But that was not the end of her story. Feb. 8 was chosen for the day of prayer because it is the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita, who was born in Sudan in 1869. so that they will be released from their chains of captivity. 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]. Bakhita was drawn to the Catholic Church. She lived a very humble and simple life in the convent doing various jobs such as cooking, sewing, embroidering, and attending to the door of the convent. When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. In 2015, her feast day became the first international day for prayer and reflection on human trafficking. (ca. 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. You will need: colored construction . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. " Her life in captivity wasn't quite so. In 1883, Bakhita was sold to an Italian family who treated her with kindness and respect. This year, the liturgical feast of Saint Bakhita invited us to rediscover ourselves invited by life to the school of love, and of humanity. Renew your gift subscription She was beatified on 17 May 1992 and canonized on 1 October 2000. Watch Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita, available to stream or on DVD from Amazon. When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. On 1 October 2000, she was canonized as Saint Josephine Bakhita. According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. Children and adults alike flocked to her, enjoying her good heart, good nature, good works, and her love of people. Born in 19 th century Sudan, Josephine Bakhita was the furthest thing from Italian. Saint John Cassian's feast day is February 29. Canonized: October 1, 2000. Towards the end of her testimony at the canonization process, where she recounted her meetings with Mother Bakhita which inspired her first biography entitled Storia meravigliosa(Tale of Wonder) in 1931, she said: When I wrote the story of Bakhita I scrupulously followed the accounts and considerations that Mother Bakhita had told me in Venice. Ida Zanolini, in Positio, p. 113 233). By the end of 1882, El-Obeid came under the threat of an attack of Mahdist revolutionaries. Public Domain via Wikimedia. Augusto Michieli acquired a large hotel there and decided to sell his property in Italy and to move his family to Sudan permanently. 6 Intriguing Facts About the Amazing & Courageous St. Josephine Bakhita Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! After that, she was sold. Two years later, he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Her historical experience suggests anthropological and spiritual reflections that amazingly manifest the divine imprint of the Creator in a good heart which the harshness of slavery, torture and tireless work have revealed almost as a precious metal purified by fire. Find out where they obtain services in your community, and volunteer to help. St Josephine Bakhita, also known as 'Mother Moretta' was kidnapped at the age of nine and sold into slavery. In the new house she found peace of heart and dignity of the body, finally dressed not in a straw tutu but in a white robe. 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. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" At the end of 1884 they escaped from a besieged Khartoum with a friend, Augusto Michieli. and endured untold hardship and suffering. 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.". The greatest revelation of such love was forgiveness, which was expressed with gratitude in grasping Gods Providence in the traumas of the experience of being kidnapped as a child and the inhuman life that followed. When a wound from the whip began to heal, other blows would pour down on me. [14] In May 1992, news of her beatification was banned by Khartoum which Pope John Paul II visited nine months later. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Later in life, she devoted herself to promoting Catholic missions to Africa. Saint Josephine Bakhita is an African saint, who was born in Sudan around 1869, and died on 8 February 1947, in Italy. When speaking of her enslavement, she often professed she would thank her kidnappers. Josephine was her confirmation name. She was known for her charisma and gentleness and even expressed gratitude that her past horrors had brought her to her current life. "Rejoice, all of Africa! Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. She was kidnapped at the age of seven and sold into slavery by. She seems to be always ready, on the right hand of her Master, ready to become his spokesperson to help us and support us in the trials of life. Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! Under their care, Josephine was drawn to the Roman Catholic Church. Canonized: October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. 'Bakhita' was not the name she received from her parents at birth. On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. She was known for her gentle voice and smile. 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. By the end of 1888, Turina Michieli wanted to see her husband in Sudan even though land transactions were unfinished. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. New Subscription -. It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. Thank you. Bakhita has come back to you. Daughter of St. Magdalene. 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? (Fortunata is the Latin translation for her Arabic name, Bakhita). Saint Bakhita lived long ago. Read her story here. 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. Historians believe that sometime in February 1877, Josephine was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. 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. Saint Josephine Bakhita, pray for us. To all our readers, Please don't scroll past this. She was given away to another family as a gift and she served them as a nanny. 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. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. Reception centres, training courses or places named after Saint Bakhita are being built throughout various parts of Italy. 3) Her feast day marks an international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. Someone asked her, "How are you? By William Hartston 00:00, Thu, May 29, 2014 Bookmark. (ca. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Darfur (now in western Sudan). 5 things the Catholic woman should keep in her purse, St. Marculf: Saint of the Day for Monday, May 01, 2023, To Saint Peregrine: Prayer of the Day for Monday, May 01, 2023. 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. As punishment for clumsiness, she was beaten so severely that she was incapacitated for a month and was sold again when she recovered. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. She was born around 1869 in Darfur (now in western Sudan) in the village of Olgossa, west of Nyala and close to Mount Agilerei. For three days, her body lay in repose while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. Grateful to her teachers, she recalled, "Those holy mothers instructed me with heroic patience and introduced me to that God who from childhood I had felt in my heart without knowing who He was. Pay Your Bill, SUBSCRIBE TO OSV KIDS If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Her new owners, needing to do business in Sudan, temporarily placed her and their daughter in the custody of the Canossian Sisters at the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice in 1888. Learn more about Saint Josephine Bakhita! How can you, your family, or an organization you belong to reach out in solidarity. She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors. Our universal sister was given back to us. Bakhita knew the reality of being a slave, an immigrant, and a spiritual seeker. Alice Michieli was born in Zianigo, the municipality of Mirano in the Veneto region, in 1886. Selling his house and lands took longer than expected. She was tattooed with 114 deep cuts, which were filled with salt so that the design formed by the lip ofher scars remained; marks which remained white and stood out on her very black skin; the children, towhom she told her story, who are now elderly, still remember them. Saint Josephine Bakhita | Franciscan Media During the ensuing court case, the Canossian Sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephines behalf. 2023 Loyola Press. Josephine Bakhita was made a saint on by October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul ll. She became a novice at the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows in 1896. She was taken as a slave in her early life by Arab traders and suffered a difficult life, until her eventual freedom in Italy. If anyone asked her how she was, she would reply, "As the master desires.". The six Eucharistic celebrations of the Solemnity of Saint Bakhita in Schio, also recalled the sacrifices made for the cause by Don Antonio Doppio and Don Giacomo Bravo, who died in Sudan, the native land of Saint Bakhita, where they had gone to start solidarity projects. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Josephine Bakhita Sterling Silver Oval Pendant, St. Josephine Bakhita Pendant (14 Karat Gold Filled), Submit a Rosary Prayer Request to be Read Live Online. Josephine Bakhita - Wikipedia If you are one of our rare donors, you have our gratitude and we warmly thank you. Through baptism she discovered that what makes us free is Gods breath in us and with this freedom she wanted to free everyone: with understanding, advice, gently, always giving thanks, saying: See you in Heaven!. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online In 1877, when she was 7-8 years old, she was seized by Arab slave traders, who had abducted her elder sister two years earlier. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. 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. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. This ironic new name did not describe the brutal and humiliating treatment Bakhita received on a daily basis. [9], In El-Obeid, Bakhita was bought by a rich Arab who used her as a maid for his two daughters. [25], Bakhita's legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. But just nine months later, Pope John Paul II visited Sudan and honored her publicly. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. 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. We ask for your prayers and intercessions for those enslaved among us. -Her friendly voice -The way that she thought about death The sisters she lived with experienced the humanizing power of motherhood in her friendship. 1751 Pinnacle Drive Suite 600 | McLean, Virginia 22102, National Human Trafficking Intelligence Center, Parent Coalition to End Human Trafficking. It was there that Bakhita first heard the gospel and believed that it was Gods will that she be free. She was loved by many in the city and was a bastion of comfort during the trials and bombings of World War II. She was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery, eventually working in Italy as a nanny for a wealthy family. 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.. Bakhita was grateful for the kindness she discovered in the heart of those who were so different from her, but she could not remember [the location of] her village. She once said, Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. We do not know her exact birthdate, but we know that she was born in the village of Olgossa, which is near Darfur, Sudan. 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. She was born in Sudan, Africa to a loving, and prosperous family. [11][12] As her mistress was watching her with a whip in her hand, a dish of white flour, a dish of salt and a razor were brought by a woman. To this end, we invite you to learn more about the life of an extraordinary trafficking survivor from history. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Josephine Bakhita 14 Karat Gold Filled Pendant, St. Josephine Bakhita Pendant (14 Karat Gold Filled), Submit a Rosary Prayer Request to be Read Live Online. Learn more about the people of Sudan and the ongoing conflict in their country. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. 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. Zanini, Roberto Italo (2013). She is the patron saint of Sudan and of victims of human trafficking. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf. A bronze sculpture of Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron of trafficking victims, will be installed in the Vatican. 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. Such was the trauma experienced that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita meaning 'fortunate'. The case went to court, and the court found that slavery had been outlawed in Sudan before Josephine was born, so she could not be lawfully made slave. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. She was also known as Mother Moretta, our Black Mother. St. Josephine Bakhita - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope She served her convent humbly, cooking, embroidering, and sewing, and was responsible for attending the door of the convent to welcome visitors, where she was noted for her warm smile and hospitality. The Canossian Sisters went to court on her behalf and helped her obtain her freedom. Spend some time reflecting on areas of your life where you are not free. In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. Her sacraments were administered by Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, who would later become Pope Pius X. Bakhita Charities is named after her. Top 10 facts about Josephine THE Empress Josephine of France, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, died 200 years ago today, on May 29, 1814. One of her owners was a Turkish general who gave her to his wife and mother-in-law who both beat her daily. She told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. Your email address will not be published. On January 9, 1890, she was baptized and confirmed and received her first Holy Communion. Also known as: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, Mother Josephine Bakhita. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online The next fifty years of her life were marked by simplicity, witnessing to Gods love through cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to the door. Josephine Bakhita is the Patron Saint of Human Trafficking. She was often beaten and kicked and whipped. The woman had a dish of white flour, a dish of salt and a razor. Saints for kids, Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita. She was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery, eventually working in Italy as a nanny for a wealthy family. She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. Bakhita herself never mentions this incident. Who are the immigrants in your local community? She and other enslaved women were forced to undergo a traditional Sudanese practice that left her permanently scarred with 114 patterns cut into her skin and rubbed with salt and flour. 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 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. In 2018, we published the testimonies of those who actually knew Mother Bakhita. 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. Saint Alexander's feast day is February 26. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . When she died her tenderness transfused into her mortal flesh and carried on attracting people. Mother Moretta, universal sister, who is still speaking to us. 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. Activity: The Kindness Chain. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. She was of the Daju people; her respected and reasonably prosperous father was a brother of the village chief. Mother Josephine Bakhita - Vatican According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. You can read more about Elizabeth on her ATI leadership profile page. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. For 10 years, this inheritance has been taken up by the Bakhita Committee which has now become an Association in order to continue the caring work that today Bakhita would have liked to carry out for her own people. Children who are now elderly, told us to call her Mother Moretta, because this is her name for us. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. Some of the testimonies collected were written by those who had known her in the family, for having received graces from her, for having heard about her from friends. Every slave was always given a new name. Awareness of how much the family had already suffered increased her pain knowing that her people were suffering for her, too. But the girls had no idea where they were going. He was a much kinder master and he did not beat her. The sisters answered her questions. Saint Josephine Bakhita: From Slave to Saint - Diocese of Westminster Bakhita wanted to become a Christian, to receive baptism. 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. Saint Josephine Bakhita- Patron Saint of Human Trafficking What a great grace it is to know God!. She then remained in the catechumenate for four more years. 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. Saint Josephine, Bakhita, c. 1868-1947 | Loyola Press . She is venerated as a modern African saint, and as a statement against the brutal history of slavery. Surrounded by the sisters, she died at age 78. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. Slavery was illegal in Italy, so Bakhita was able to leave her Italian owners and follow Gods calling for her. 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. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online Gift Subscription She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. She was forced to walk barefoot about 960 kilometres (600mi) to El-Obeid and was sold and bought twice before she arrived there. Over the course of twelve years (18771889) she was sold three more times and then she was finally given her freedom. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. Since the villa in Zianigo was already sold, Bakhita and Mimmina needed a temporary place to stay while Micheli went to Sudan without them. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. Oh St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a She even received a new name at her baptism: Josephine Margaret Bakhita. 800-621-1008 Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Amen. 6 Facts About St Josephine Bakhita. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. Bakhita was baptized in January 1890 and took the name Josephine. Read his story here. Saint Bakhitas feast day is celebrated on February 8.
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