Born in Darfur in 1869, Josephine Bakhita was taken by Arab slave traders when she was 9. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Her own story, in turn, can serve as a balm for others. Intercede with God on their behalf If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. She was given away to another family as a gift and she served them as a nanny. 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). The day when her life turned into a nightmare, that terrified 9-year-old girl forgot everything, even her . 2023 Loyola Press. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ. Saint Josephine Bakhita | uCatholic She told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. Sharing the Word for May 1, 2023 Fourth Week of Easter Year 1. The testimonies present us her filial, apostolic which will see us meet again in Heaven and fraternal friendship. She once said, Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. On 1 October 2000, she was canonized as Saint Josephine Bakhita. While she was in the custody of the sisters, she came to learn about God. 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. Saint Josephine Bakhita: From Slave to Saint - Diocese of Westminster Flogging and maltreatment were part of her daily life. The school was run by the Canossian Sisters. Where would she be taken? 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. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. Once, they hid behind a thorn hedge for two hours while a long caravan passed nearby. 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. One year later, when Mrs Michieli returned to take her daughter and Bakhita back to Suakin, she refused for the first time. The daughter of Sudan sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free. Who are the immigrants in your local community? When speaking of her enslavement, she often professed she would thank her kidnappers. Learn more about the people of Sudan and the ongoing conflict in their country. By William Hartston 00:00, Thu, May 29, 2014 Bookmark. She spent so much time in captivity that she forgot her original name. Bombs did not spare Schio, but the war passed without a single casualty. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Melissa Petruzzello is Associate Editor of Plant and Environmental Science and covers a range of content from plants, algae, and fungi, to renewable energy and environmental engineering. Slavery was illegal in Italy, so Bakhita was able to leave her Italian owners and follow Gods calling for her. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. If anyone asked her how she was, she would reply, "As the master desires.". Josephine Bakhita is the Patron Saint of Human Trafficking. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ. 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. In 2018, we published the testimonies of those who actually knew Mother Bakhita. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. The assignment was easy until she offended her owner's son, possibly for the crime of breaking a vase. 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. St. Josephine Bakhita - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News Bakhita: From Slave to Saint by Roberto Italo Zanini | Goodreads It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. 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? Permission Guidelines She died on 8 February 1947 in the country of Italy, in the city of Vincenza. Through Christ Our Lord. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. 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. In Venice, her story of ransom from slavery, the gift of her faith was well known. 98% of our readers don't give; they simply look the other way. 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. There, cared for and instructed by the Sisters, Bakhita encountered Christianity for the first time. She wanted to be good, to obey the one who gave her joy in following his voice that enlightened her from the heart. Imitating Him, let us place our confidence not in riches, but in your love and embrace. 6 Intriguing Facts About the Amazing & Courageous St. Josephine Bakhita 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. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She even received a new name at her baptism: Josephine Margaret Bakhita. 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. Augusto Michieli acquired a large hotel there and decided to sell his property in Italy and to move his family to Sudan permanently. She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. Our universal sister was given back to us. Forced to walk 600 miles to southern Sudan, she was bought and sold before arriving in El Obeid. Her sacraments were administered by Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, who would later become Pope Pius X. Mother Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and died in Schio (Vicenza) in 1947. Bakhita underwent the excruciating ordeal of tattooing. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Saint Bakhita is still with us today. Thank you. She was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery, eventually working in Italy as a nanny for a wealthy family. Mother Josephine Bakhita - Vatican These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. 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. She then died. She could not recall the name given to her at birth by her parents after she suffered repeated terrible humiliation, both physical and moral, as a result of being kidnapped by slave traders at the age of 7 and sold and re-sold . This martyrdom ended when, in 1882, she was bought by Callisto Legnani, an Italian consular agent in Sudan. During the ensuing court case, the Canossian Sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephines behalf. Her story is noteworthy. What was she known for? Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 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.. He eventually took her to Italy and gave her to the Michieli family to serve as a nanny. Since the villa in Zianigo was already sold, Bakhita and Mimmina needed a temporary place to stay while Micheli went to Sudan without them. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. After a while, she came round again. He did not waver and was adamant that Bakhita was free and had the right to choose, since slavery no longer existed in Italy. [18] For the first time in her life, Bakhita found herself in control of her own destiny, and she chose to remain with the Canossians. St. Josephine Bakhita Novena | Pray Catholic Novenas Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. She left for the second time, a land she felt she would never see again. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. As her mistress watched, ready with a whip, another woman drew patterns on her skin with flour, then cut into her flesh with a blade. She said, "A woman skilled in this cruel art came to the general's house. 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 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. Canonized: October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. [6][7][8] She was also forcibly converted to Islam. We do not know her exact birthdate, but we know that she was born in the village of Olgossa, which is near Darfur, Sudan. Also known as: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, Mother Josephine Bakhita. The sisters answered her questions. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online And although bombs fell on their village, not one citizen died. She lay in state for three days, and mourners noticed that her limbs remained flexible. He canonized her on October 1, 2000. [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. 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. Historians believe that sometime in February 1877, Josephine was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. Josephine was her confirmation name. To this end, we invite you to learn more about the life of an extraordinary trafficking survivor from history. My face was spared, but 6 patterns were designed on my breasts, and 60 more on my belly and arms. Six years later she entered the Canossian Sisters convent in Schio, Italy. In 1885, to avoid the danger to his life as a result ofpolitical unrest, Consul Legnani was forced to leave Africa and Bakhita convinced him to take her with him. 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. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. 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. Born: 1869 in Sudan 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. When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. 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. St. Josephine BakhitaA Model of Faith | Franciscan Media [2] She was one of the Daju people;[3][4] her respected and reasonably prosperous father was brother of the village chief. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. During the war, because of her colour, she was also mistaken for being a spy, but she did not get upset, she accompanied those who wanted to arrest her to where she lived and, showing them the window in her room, explained that since her arrival in Italy she had received the gift of vocation. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. 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. And the shining figure in the night? [26] On 10 February 1993, he solemnly honoured Bakhita on her own soil. Pope John Paul II canonized Josephine Bakhita in 2000. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs [28], Josephine Margaret Bakhita is honored with a Lesser Feast on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America,[1] also on 8 February.[29]. -Her friendly voice -The way that she thought about death She was forced to walk barefoot about 960 kilometres (600mi) to El-Obeid and was sold and bought twice before she arrived there. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online The Pope prayed to Saint Bakhita and asked that she intercede and assist trafficking victims. St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin. Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope 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!. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. The Canossian Sisters went to court on her behalf and helped her obtain her freedom. 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. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. For the event, some Canossian sisters travelled from Verona to hold a vigil with young people [with the theme]: A light in the night against human trafficking. Saint Josephine Bakhita A Woman of Faith and Forgiveness Born: 1869 in Sudan Died: 1947 in Italy Beatified: May 17, 1992 Canonized: October 1, 2000 Introduction February 8 is the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita. Three fundamental passages: relationships are formed from an encounter which make us a people. By the end of 1888, Turina Michieli wanted to see her husband in Sudan even though land transactions were unfinished. St. Josephine Bakhita, in full Josephine Margaret Bakhita, also called Mother Josephine Bakhita, (born c. 1869, Olgossa, Darfur (now in Sudan)died February 8, 1947, Schio, Italy; canonized October 1, 2000; feast day February 8), Sudanese-born Roman Catholic saint who survived kidnapping and enslavement. Bakhita knew how to value true riches and chose eternal treasures. 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 Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. Read her story here. She was taken as a slave in her early life by Arab traders and suffered a difficult life, until her eventual freedom in Italy. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. The next fifty years of her life were marked by simplicity, witnessing to Gods love through cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to the door. Her owners named her Bakhita, Arabic for lucky or fortunate. He rejoiced at seeing her again. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. Oh St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a She patiently suffered long painful years of sickness in her old age and continued to attest to Christian hope. [25], Bakhita's legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. [19] On 9 January 1890, Bakhita was baptized with the names of 'Josephine Margaret' and 'Fortunata' (the Latin translation of the Arabic Bakhita). Saint of the Day for Monday, May 1st, 2023. She used the flour to draw patterns on her skin and then she cut deeply along the lines before filling the wounds with salt to ensure permanent scarring. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. 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. Those whom man enslaves, let God set free. She had brothers, sisters, and loving parents. They ran through the wilderness all night, terrified of being caught and even more terrified of the roars of wild beasts; whenever the animals came too close, they took shelter in a tree. She was kidnapped at the age of seven and sold into slavery by. Reception centres, training courses or places named after Saint Bakhita are being built throughout various parts of Italy. But she always remained cheerful. It was during this time that she was introduced to formal religion and came to know the Daughters of Charity of Canossa, or the Canossian Sisters. Thank you. 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. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. Bakhita's skin underwent the painful and horrendous Sudanese custom of scarring slaves - where a pattern was cut into the skin with a razor. What happened to the Catholic Knights Hospitaller? Saint Josephine Bakhita, pray for us. Bakhita Charities for Southern Africa, Inc. 2014 by Bakhita Charities Created with wix.com, 2014 by Bakhita Charities Created with w. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. It wasnt long before Bakhita realized they were lost. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . Dagnino, pp. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Alice Michieli was born in Zianigo, the municipality of Mirano in the Veneto region, in 1886. Someone asked her, "How are you? Saint Josephine Bakhita | EWTN Another owner, a Turkish general, gave Josephine to his wife and mother-in-law, who would beat her daily. She was born around the year 1869 in the African country of Sudan, in the region of Darfur, in the city of Olgossa. She was also known as Mother Moretta, our Black Mother. Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. 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 Her special charisma and reputation for sanctity were noticed by her order; the first publication of her story (Storia Meravigliosa by Ida Zanolini) in 1931, made her famous throughout Italy. / Holy See Press Office. In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. The girls passed long hours telling one another about their families and how they had been kidnapped. 800-621-1008 Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Bakhita, the first canonized Sudanese saint, led the way for those who today seek among us hope for their life. Most people donate because Catholic Online is useful. 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. Josephine celebrated the sacraments of initiation, receiving the name Josephine. 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. 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. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. Once liberated from your physical enslavement, 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. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf. Read his story here. Indeed, realizing that she could not return home, little Bakhita, lifted up her innocent face and saw God. But just nine months later, Pope John Paul II visited Sudan and honored her publicly. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. For three days, Michieli tried to force the issue, finally appealing to the attorney general of the King of Italy; while the superior of the Institute for baptismal candidates (catechumenate) that Bakhita attended contacted the Patriarch of Venice about her protege's problem. Known as Mimmina, she was treated like a daughter by Bakhita. 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. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. They travelled a risky 650-kilometre (400mi) trip on camelback to Suakin, which was the largest port of Sudan. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. Saint Bakhitas feast day is celebrated on February 8. St. Josephine Bakhta Research Paper - 298 Words | Bartleby She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. Daughter of St. Magdalene. 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. I had then the confused feeling that, since she was an extraordinary soul, my writing would sooner or later be useful, thinking that in time the Church would take this story and this extraordinary soul into account (cf. Such was the trauma experienced that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita meaning 'fortunate'. A bronze sculpture of Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron of trafficking victims, will be installed in the Vatican. She was of the Daju people; her respected and reasonably prosperous father was a brother of the village chief. She became a novice at the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows in 1896. This year, the liturgical feast of Saint Bakhita invited us to rediscover ourselves invited by life to the school of love, and of humanity. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Josephine-Bakhita, Pope Francis venerating St. Josephine Bakhita. Two years later, he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Slaves also served to vent the anger of their masters who found sadistic pleasure in hearing them cry out in pain. If you donate just $5.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online could keep thriving for years. 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. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. When Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. Her trauma was so great that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita which means fortunate. But that was not the end of her story. Saint Katharine Drexel was a contemplative in action whose work serving the poor inspires us today. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. "Rejoice, all of Africa! Her voice was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering. MISSION: As a girl, Bakhita would look up at the moon and stars, resolving to serve their Master. What St. Josephine Bakhita's story taught me about suffering 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. 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. But just nine months later, Pope John Paul II visited Sudan and honored her publicly. We rejoiced to learn that the human integration centre in Cerignola is dedicated to her. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs. 6 Intriguing Facts About the Amazing & Courageous St. Josephine Bakhita Top 10 facts about Josephine THE Empress Josephine of France, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, died 200 years ago today, on May 29, 1814. Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". 3) Her feast day marks an international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. . If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving.
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