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. Saint Magdalene of Canossa referred to Venice as a city of projects; also from Venice came Gods dream for Mother Bakhita, who arrived at the Canossian Institute. What was she known for? 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. 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. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. To this end, we invite you to learn more about the life of an extraordinary trafficking survivor from history. 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. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. 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. When visited and asked how she was, shed respond: "As the Master desires.". By the end of 1888, Turina Michieli wanted to see her husband in Sudan even though land transactions were unfinished. Finally in possession of her human autonomy for the first time in her adult life, Josephine chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. Josephines body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her spirit. 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. Her story is noteworthy. The most recent one known to us is the Casa Santa Giuseppina Bakhita"(Saint Josephine Bakhita House), dedicated as a temporary reception centre for women, located on the island of SantElena, in Venice. Pope Francis visits with children in Budapest with visual impairments. Listening to nature and her heart manifested in her the law of love that unites us all, making us capable of a social life in which rights and duties are expressed in the happy union of truth and justice, an encounter of gift and gratitude. / Holy See Press Office. Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. "[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. As she grew older, she experienced long, painful years of sickness, but she continued to persevere in hope, constantly choosing the good. 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. Tarjeta De Oracin De Nuestra Seora De Guadalupe, Tres Maneras Para Obtener Un Mejor Provecho De La Misa. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. "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. On January 9, 1890, she was baptized and confirmed and received her first Holy Communion. The choices of love experienced by Bakhita first freed her, giving her the taste of comfort regarding her lost sisters, finding herself in a situation of unprecedented possibilities with regard to her loved ones. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. 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. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. Spend some time reflecting on areas of your life where you are not free. you found true redemption in your encounter with Christ and his Church. 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. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs Top 10 facts about Josephine THE Empress Josephine of France, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, died 200 years ago today, on May 29, 1814. 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 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. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. 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. 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 Your email address will not be published. But the girls had no idea where they were going. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. Does the Bible Have Anything to do with My Life? 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 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. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. 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. The feast of Saint Bakhita is in fact the day chosen by the Church to ask collectively for liberation from ancient and new contemporary slavery. Now she looked to the sky for guidance once morebut this time, to her surprise, she saw a beautiful figure, bathed in light and smiling at her. uCatholic. In Venice, her story of ransom from slavery, the gift of her faith was well known. What is it that enslaves you? On 17 May 1992, she was declared Blessed and given 8 February as her feast day. Not a a day went by without wounds being inflicted on her body. 'Bakhita' was not the name she received from her parents at birth. This is the awareness of those who recognize in her a prophecy for these times of migration flows towards Italy, a land considered by many as the doorway to Europe. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Bakhita sought humanity and discovered that she longed for a good master, like the One who cares for all beautiful things: the sky, the stars, the earth, flowers. Bakhita remained in the catechumenate where she experienced the call . She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. If you are one of our rare donors, you have our gratitude and we warmly thank you. . But she always remained cheerful. The sisters answered her questions. 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. Thank you. This year, the liturgical feast of Saint Bakhita invited us to rediscover ourselves invited by life to the school of love, and of humanity. She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors. It wasnt long before Bakhita realized they were lost. This project was carried out in collaboration between the municipality and the diocesan Caritas. Reception centres, training courses or places named after Saint Bakhita are being built throughout various parts of Italy. Her gentleness, calming voice, and the ever-present smile became well known and Vicenzans still refer to her as Sor Moretta ("little brown sister") or Madre Moretta ("black mother"). She arrived in Italy for the first time. Daughter of St. Magdalene. Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! Bakhita Charities is named after her. In St. Josephine Bakhita we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. 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. Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. In 2000, she was declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. He was a much kinder master and he did not beat her. Bakhita was baptized in January 1890 and took the name Josephine. On 17 May, 1992, she was proclaimed blessed, and on 1 October of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 she was made a saint by John Paul II. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869, in a small. 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. Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. Bakhita became devoted to the child. [9], In El-Obeid, Bakhita was bought by a rich Arab who used her as a maid for his two daughters. On 1 December 1978, Pope John Paul II declared Josephine Venerable, the first step towards canonization. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" By the end of 1882, El-Obeid came under the threat of an attack of Mahdist revolutionaries. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. The girls passed long hours telling one another about their families and how they had been kidnapped. Thank you. Her memories remind us that what bonds us is the same need for love, well beyond our individual beliefs. She was beatified on May 17, 1992, by Pope John Paul II and canonized by him on October 1, 2000. For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. Bulk Subscription, About If anyone asked her how she was, she would reply, "As the master desires.". 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. 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. But that was not the end of her story. [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. Saint John Cassian's feast day is February 29. Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. 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. 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. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Caritas Bakhita House in London, which provides accommodation and support for women escaping human trafficking, is named in her honour. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. Saint Bakhita is still with us today. Her body lay on display for three days afterwards. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Pope John Paul II canonized Josephine Bakhita in 2000. Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope He gave her her first crucifix and had the idea of having her live with the little girl she took care of, at the Catechumens of Venice, a place where she could be educated and learn about the love of Jesus and the Gospel of salvation. Death: February 8, 1947. My face was spared, but 6 patterns were designed on my breasts, and 60 more on my belly and arms. (ca. Alice Michieli was born in Zianigo, the municipality of Mirano in the Veneto region, in 1886. As a slave, her experiences varied from fair treatment to cruel. 3) Her feast day marks an international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. *Director of the archives of the Shrine of Saint Josephme Bakhita in Schio, LOsservatore Romano14 February 2020, page 8, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. Bakhita knew how to value true riches and chose eternal treasures. Everything is amazing in her, just as the restoring water which gushes out of a spring! 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. It does, however, foretell and describe her later life. 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). Bakhita has come back to you. By. Watch Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita, available to stream or on DVD from Amazon. Read his story here. Sadly, the news of her beatification in 1992 was censored in Sudan. She passed away on February 8, 1947. Which services in your area address the needs of women and children in poverty? We increase awareness and teach you how to intercept trafficking as early as possible. With a passion to eradicate human trafficking, Elizabeth Lee is ATIs Volunteer/Intern Coordinator and Senior Advisor. Bakhita was drawn to the Catholic Church. Born: 1869 in Sudan She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Her sacraments were administered by Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, who would later become Pope Pius X. She died on 8 February 1947 in the country of Italy, in the city of Vincenza. While she was in the custody of the sisters, she came to learn about God. We do not know her exact birthdate, but we know that she was born in the village of Olgossa, which is near Darfur, Sudan. 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. [25], Bakhita's legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. Josephine celebrated the sacraments of initiation, receiving the name Josephine. 42743. Image credit: Saint Josephine Bakhita by unknown artist, unknown date. Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. This martyrdom ended when, in 1882, she was bought by Callisto Legnani, an Italian consular agent in Sudan. What happened to the Catholic Knights Hospitaller? Josephine was born in the Daju village of Olgossa in Darfur. and endured untold hardship and suffering. 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. encouraging sermons for difficult times, lombard funeral home obituaries,
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