She was known for her gentle voice and smile. Saint Josephine Bakhita: From Slave to Saint - Diocese of Westminster Josephine was declared free on the grounds that slavery was not recognized in Italy and had been outlawed in Darfur before her birth. Josephine was her confirmation name. 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. After a while, she came round again. Advertising If Catholic Online has given you $5.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. 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. We ask for your prayers and intercessions for those enslaved among us. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. Bakhita Charities is named after her. Her black skin revealed different ancestry and a different life experience. Because, if those things had not happened, I would not have become a Christian and would not be a Sister today.. Top 10 facts about Josephine | Express.co.uk 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 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. Before long, they were planning an escape. 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. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. ADVENTURES: Many weeks after being kidnapped, Bakhita found herself at a slave market, chained to another girl her age. She lay in state for three days, and mourners noticed that her limbs remained flexible. She told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later. Children who are now elderly, told us to call her Mother Moretta, because this is her name for us. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. If anyone asked her how she was, she would reply, "As the master desires.". She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors. "[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. 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. Assisted suicide in the United States: Where is it legal? Birth: 1869. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. Born in the village of Olgossa (Darfur, Sudan) in 1869, Bakhita had a twin sister, she was loved and she lived peacefully. Saint Josephine Bakhita | Franciscan Media Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. For had she not been kidnapped, she might never have come to know Jesus Christ and entered His Church. Does the Bible Have Anything to do with My Life? Died: 1947 in Italy It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. " Her life in captivity wasn't quite so. Bakhita was drawn to the Catholic Church. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. Sharing the Word for May 1, 2023 Fourth Week of Easter Year 1. a quick bio of st. josephine bakhita. 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. ", After prayer and discernment, Josephine joined the religious order, pronouncing her religious vows on 8 December 1896 at the age of 27. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. This project was carried out in collaboration between the municipality and the diocesan Caritas. Although she was just a child, she was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market in El Obeid. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. 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. The sisters she lived with experienced the humanizing power of motherhood in her friendship. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". She was known for her gentle voice and smile. A total of 114 intricate patterns were cut into her breasts, belly and into her right arm.[13][14]. Faith can be an important component in the road to recovery for many survivors, as was the case for Bakhita. Awareness of how much the family had already suffered increased her pain knowing that her people were suffering for her, too. For the rest of her life, Bakhita remained in Italy and lived as a free woman. She was given away to another family as a gift and she served them as a nanny. Flogging and maltreatment were part of her daily life. Her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita, meaning "fortunate. She was declared free. Even while she was outwardly denied freedom and human dignity, her spirit was free. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. Her constant smile, humility and simplicity won peoples hearts. For her arrival in Italy, there had been no need for a passport. -. In the new house in Schio she found herself dressed like the other Canossian sisters, but so different from them as to arouse curiosity and the desire to meet 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. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869, in a small. On February 8, the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 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. The map of Sudan here shows the village of Olgossa (. It is interesting what Ida Zanolini, a lay Canossian woman who published Mother Bakhitas first biography, wrote about her. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. 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 was loved by many in the city and was a bastion of comfort during the trials and bombings of World War II. In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. 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. 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 Josephine Bakhita entered the convent in 1893 and took her vows December 8, 1896. 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. 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. And the shining figure in the night? LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. Omissions? For three days, her body lay in repose while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. Free with the freedom of the saints. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Bakhita came to believe it was her guardian angel, who stayed with her all along, guiding her to God. 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. She was a source of encouragement. They travelled a risky 650-kilometre (400mi) trip on camelback to Suakin, which was the largest port of Sudan. uCatholic. 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. She died on 8 February 1947 in the country of Italy, in the city of Vincenza. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Bakhita replied, "Yes, I am so happy: Our Lady Our Lady!" It wasnt long before Bakhita realized they were lost. It was then that we felt how in these years the passage from testimony to devotion was taking place. If you donate just $5.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online could keep thriving for years. Read her story here. She then died. Indeed, she spent twelve years in cruel slavery. They brought her back to Italy to work as a maid and care giver to their baby, Mimmina. In 1883, the Turkish general sold her to the Italian Vice Consul, Callisto Legani. 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. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. MISSION: As a girl, Bakhita would look up at the moon and stars, resolving to serve their Master. Saint Angela of Foligno's feast day is February 28. 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. On 29 November 1889, an Italian court ruled that because the British had outlawed slavery in Sudan before Bakhita's birth and because Italian law had never recognized slavery as legal, Bakhita had never legally been a slave. "[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. She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online 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. Who is Bakhita? Bakhita Kids Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. With the help of the Canossian Sisters, she won her freedom, became a Christian, and joined their order. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Then salt was poured into the open wounds to ensure it would scar. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. She arrived in Italy for the first time. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. In 2015, her feast day became the first international day for prayer and reflection on human trafficking. The girls passed long hours telling one another about their families and how they had been kidnapped. Amen. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. 42743. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. 'Bakhita' was not the name she received from her parents at birth. 6 Facts About St Josephine Bakhita 1) Sudanese-Italian Canossian nun who survived 12 years of brutal slavery. 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. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" She then remained in the catechumenate for four more years. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. Saint Josephine Bakhita Saint stories - Teaching Catholic Kids
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