Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Pay Your Bill, SUBSCRIBE TO OSV KIDS 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. so that they will be released from their chains of captivity. They are heavy! She is said to have died with a smile on her lips after seeing a vision of Our Lady coming toward her. [25], Bakhita's legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. As she grew older, she experienced long, painful years of sickness, but she continued to persevere in hope, constantly choosing the good. 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. There, cared for and instructed by the Sisters, Bakhita encountered Christianity for the first time. He did not waver and was adamant that Bakhita was free and had the right to choose, since slavery no longer existed in Italy. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". Josephine Bakhita is the Patron Saint of Human Trafficking. Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. Saint Katharine Drexel was a contemplative in action whose work serving the poor inspires us today. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thus, from 13 to 16 years old she experienced a Christian welcome and civil respect. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later. Saint Bakhita lived long ago. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ. She also cared for war victims during world war 1. Tarjeta De Oracin De Nuestra Seora De Guadalupe, Tres Maneras Para Obtener Un Mejor Provecho De La Misa. 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. When she had made her patterns; the woman took the razor and made incisions along the lines. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to Gods people as a Canossian Sister. Her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita, meaning "fortunate. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. Bakhita was baptized in January 1890 and took the name Josephine. Italian saint and former slave (18691947), Dagnino, p.10. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. Slaves also served to vent the anger of their masters who found sadistic pleasure in hearing them cry out in pain. Everything is amazing in her, just as the restoring water which gushes out of a spring! Bakhita Charities is named after her. Birth: 1869. 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. 800-621-1008 Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Also known as: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, Mother Josephine Bakhita. 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. [15] The Turkish general began making preparations to return to his homeland and sold his slaves. Saint of the Day for Monday, May 1st, 2023. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. 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. The testimonies present us her filial, apostolic which will see us meet again in Heaven and fraternal friendship. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. We do not know her exact birthdate, but we know that she was born in the village of Olgossa, which is near Darfur, Sudan. How can you, your family, or an organization you belong to reach out in solidarity. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She is the patron saint of Sudan and of victims of human trafficking. To all our readers, Please don't scroll past this. It is interesting what Ida Zanolini, a lay Canossian woman who published Mother Bakhitas first biography, wrote about her. Faith can be an important component in the road to recovery for many survivors, as was the case for Bakhita. 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 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. When she died her tenderness transfused into her mortal flesh and carried on attracting people. When Mrs. Michieli returned to fetch her daughter and the enslaved nanny, Josephine resolutely refused to leave the institute. Born in 19 th century Sudan, Josephine Bakhita was the furthest thing from Italian. Josephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. Venezuelan migrant thanks God, recounts journey through dangerous jungle to U.S. After a while, she came round again. On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. He canonized her on October 1, 2000. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 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. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Finally in possession of her human autonomy for the first time in her adult life, Josephine chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. He had destined me for better things.. Salt was poured into each of the wounds. 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. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. 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. Bakhita knew how to value true riches and chose eternal treasures. Children and adults alike flocked to her, enjoying her good heart, good nature, good works, and her love of people. 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. Biography [ edit] Early life [ edit] 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. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. In the extremity of her last hours, her mind was driven back to her youth in slavery and she cried out: "The chains are too tight, loosen them a little, please!" Although she was just a child, she was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market in El Obeid. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf. He was a much kinder master and he did not beat her. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. 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 would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse. Amen. Printable Catholic Saints PDFs. 29-32. She was declared free. Watch Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita, available to stream or on DVD from Amazon. 6 Facts About St Josephine Bakhita. Beatified: May 17, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. 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. Pope John Paul II canonized Josephine Bakhita in 2000. 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. Indeed, realizing that she could not return home, little Bakhita, lifted up her innocent face and saw God. Corrections? Amen. For three days, her body lay in repose while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. The figure pointed the way to go, and Bakhita led her companion in that direction. She was beatified on May 17, 1992, by Pope John Paul II and canonized by him on October 1, 2000. "[27], Pope Benedict XVI, on 30 November 2007, in the beginning of his second encyclical letter Spe Salvi ("In Hope We Were Saved"), relates her life story as an outstanding example of the Christian hope. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. But she always remained cheerful. Omissions? 1) Sudanese-Italian Canossian nun who survived 12 years of brutal slavery. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. With the help of the Canossian Sisters, she won her freedom, became a Christian, and joined their order. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. ", After prayer and discernment, Josephine joined the religious order, pronouncing her religious vows on 8 December 1896 at the age of 27. 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. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. Someone asked her, "How are you? What a great grace it is to know God!. Daughter of St. Magdalene. Assisted suicide in the United States: Where is it legal? Bakhita was not a Christian, but she had always looked to the night sky and wanted to know the One who had created the moon and stars.
