Bakhita's skin underwent the painful and horrendous Sudanese custom of scarring slaves - where a pattern was cut into the skin with a razor. She then died. Caritas Bakhita House in London, which provides accommodation and support for women escaping human trafficking, is named in her honour. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. We rejoiced to learn that the human integration centre in Cerignola is dedicated to her. She was kidnapped at the age of seven and sold into slavery by. The girls passed long hours telling one another about their families and how they had been kidnapped. You can read more about Elizabeth on her ATI leadership profile page. Who is Bakhita? Bakhita Kids Her memories remind us that what bonds us is the same need for love, well beyond our individual beliefs. She was a woman of immense faith and forgiveness. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. 6 Intriguing Facts About the Amazing & Courageous St. Josephine Bakhita The sisters answered her questions. 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"). This was the school of the Creator that she attended after the school of her family, which she always longed for. She was known for her gentle voice and smile. When Mrs. Michieli returned to fetch her daughter and the enslaved nanny, Josephine resolutely refused to leave the institute. When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. St. Josephine Bakhita - Catholic News Agency 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. ATIs tools are designed to ensure that your efforts deliver effective results. She was given away to another family as a gift and she served them as a nanny. Biography [ edit] Early life [ edit] Venezuelan migrant thanks God, recounts journey through dangerous jungle to U.S. Everyone plays a rolein helping to end human trafficking. Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! Saints for kids The first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. 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. He eventually took her to Italy and gave her to the Michieli family to serve as a nanny. St. Josephine Bakhita | Roman Catholic saint | Britannica Evangelii Gaudium, n. 224). Spend some time reflecting on areas of your life where you are not free. St. Josephine Bakhita Resources For Kids (Crafts, Printables, More!) Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. Bakhita has come back to you. Bulk Subscription, About Historians believe that sometime in February 1877, Josephine was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. I thought I would die, especially when salt was poured in the wounds it was by a miracle of God I didn't die. This decentralization from herself manifested a creative generosity; for this was already the beginning of a path of redemption that rooted altruism in her. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. (ca. Bakhita: From Slave to Saint, p. 81. 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. Everything is amazing in her, just as the restoring water which gushes out of a spring! In 1883, the Turkish general sold her to the Italian Vice Consul, Callisto Legani. [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 most Get Access Saint Rita Research Paper Saint Rita of Cascia was a girl who always showed an early desire to become a noun at a young age. Her black skin revealed different ancestry and a different life experience. Advertising Saint Josephine Bakhita | Franciscan Media Renew your gift subscription Even while she was outwardly denied freedom and human dignity, her spirit was free. As punishment, she was beaten so severely she was incapacitated for a month. 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. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. She wanted to be good, to obey the one who gave her joy in following his voice that enlightened her from the heart. Assisted suicide in the United States: Where is it legal? During her 42 years in Schio, Bakhita was employed as the cook, sacristan, and portress (doorkeeper) and was in frequent contact with the local community. 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!" Died: 1947 in Italy Saint Josephine, affectionately known as Bakhita (fortunate one), was born in the southern Sudan region of Darfur. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Vatican City, Feb 3, 2022 / 10:15 am (CNA). When Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. Her owners named her Bakhita, Arabic for lucky or fortunate. When she had made her patterns; the woman took the razor and made incisions along the lines. Her new owners took her to their family villa at Zianigo, near Mirano, Veneto, about 25km (16mi) west of Venice. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". 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.". 42743. For three days, her body lay in repose while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. / Holy See Press Office. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ. Later in life, she devoted herself to promoting Catholic missions to Africa. Tarjeta De Oracin De Nuestra Seora De Guadalupe, Tres Maneras Para Obtener Un Mejor Provecho De La Misa. 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. Saint Josephine, Bakhita, c. 1868-1947 | Loyola Press Indeed, she spent twelve years in cruel slavery. She even received a new name at her baptism: Josephine Margaret Bakhita. 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. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869, in a small. 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. Birth: 1869. state of slavery; 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. She was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery, eventually working in Italy as a nanny for a wealthy family. The testimonies present us her filial, apostolic which will see us meet again in Heaven and fraternal friendship. She was given away to another family as a gift and she served them as a nanny. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. By. They travelled a risky 650-kilometre (400mi) trip on camelback to Suakin, which was the largest port of Sudan. Suakin on the Red Sea was besieged but remained in Anglo-Egyptian hands. 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. Daily Prayer. Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope Daughter of St. Magdalene. She also traveled and visited other convents telling her story to other sisters and preparing them for work in Africa. For the rest of her life, Bakhita remained in Italy and lived as a free woman. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. 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. Read his story here. In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. Saint Alexander's feast day is February 26. When Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. Her story is noteworthy. 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. -. [20] A strong missionary drive animated her throughout her entire life "her mind was always on God, and her heart in Africa".[21]. [3][22] During the Second World War (19391945) she shared the fears and hopes of the townspeople, who considered her a saint and felt protected by her presence. Bombs did not spare Schio, but the war passed without a single casualty. In 2019, Pope Francis drew attention to the scourge of human trafficking on Saint Bakhitas feast day and called upon government leaders worldwide to intervene and stop the trafficking of persons. At the age of 13 she was sold to a Turkish general and every day his mistresses punished her with whips and beatings. In 1902 she was assigned to the Canossian convent at Schio, in the northern Italian province of Vicenza, where she spent the rest of her life. 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. Her simplicity was convincing and danger was averted. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a24650c9343008eb8a6585a97221ebfb" );document.getElementById("c8429a34be").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The daughter of Sudan sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885. Her sacraments were administered by Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, who would later become Pope Pius X. On 29 November 1889, at the Catechumens, something similar to a trial took place regarding her choice not to return to the life of slavery, and she was declared free. Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. On 1 December 1978, Pope John Paul II declared Josephine Venerable, the first step towards canonization. She told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. 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. 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. She was baptized on January 9, 1890 and took the name Josephine Margaret and Fortunata. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. Also known as: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, Mother Josephine Bakhita. Thank you. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. Read his story here. And although bombs fell on their village, not one citizen died. While she was in the custody of the sisters, she came to learn about God. 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. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. 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. Dagnino, pp. 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.. 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. She is also a patron saint for victims of slavery and trafficked persons. As she grew older, she experienced long, painful years of sickness, but she continued to persevere in hope, constantly choosing the good. 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. All rights reserved. Indeed, realizing that she could not return home, little Bakhita, lifted up her innocent face and saw God. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! We are a team of people dedicated to defeating the scourge of human trafficking through uniquely targeted programs. We partner with people like you. 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. Reception centres, training courses or places named after Saint Bakhita are being built throughout various parts of Italy. 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. In 2018, we published the testimonies of those who actually knew Mother Bakhita. For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. 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. She was forced to walk barefoot about 960 kilometres (600mi) to El-Obeid and was sold and bought twice before she arrived there. He had destined me for better things.. Bakhita, the first canonized Sudanese saint, led the way for those who today seek among us hope for their life. Once liberated from your physical enslavement, While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Canossian Sisters went to court on her behalf and helped her obtain her freedom. She had brothers, sisters, and loving parents. Patron Saint - St Josephine Bakhita - Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney 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). Saint Bakhita lived long ago. Learn more about Saint Josephine Bakhita! Bilinge: Encontrando a Dios / Finding God, Encontrando a Dios / Finding God (Espaol), Encontrando a Dios / Finding God (English), Catequistas Y Maestros / Catechists & Teachers, En El Orden Restaurado: Descripcion Del Programa, Nuestra Seora De GuadalupeOur Lady of Guadalupe. In 2015, her feast day became the first international day for prayer and reflection on human trafficking. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! She would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse. 6 Facts About St Josephine Bakhita. 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. 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 Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. ", After prayer and discernment, Josephine joined the religious order, pronouncing her religious vows on 8 December 1896 at the age of 27. Bakhita Charities is named after her. According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. The Michielis brought Bakhita with them back to the Sudan where they stayed for nine months before returning to Italy. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online 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. Bakhita was baptized in January 1890 and took the name Josephine. He was a much kinder master and he did not beat her. 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. 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. 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. Updates? When a wound from the whip began to heal, other blows would pour down on me. She was loved by many in the city and was a bastion of comfort during the trials and bombings of World War II. The woman had a dish of white flour, a dish of salt and a razor. They were met there by Augusto Michieli's wife, Maria Turina Michieli, to whom Legnani gave ownership of Bakhita. 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]. 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. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 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. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. Although she was just a child, she was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market in El Obeid. 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. She patiently suffered long painful years of sickness in her old age and continued to attest to Christian hope. 2023 Loyola Press. 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. Her uncle was a tribal chief, and her family was relatively prosperous. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Someone asked her, "How are you? Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. They brought her back to Italy to work as a maid and care giver to their baby, Mimmina. The school was run by the Canossian Sisters. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio. 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. Saint Angela of Foligno's feast day is February 28. During the ensuing court case, the Canossian Sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephines behalf. As punishment for clumsiness, she was beaten so severely that she was incapacitated for a month and was sold again when she recovered. and faith. What is it that enslaves you? She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. Saint Josephine Bakhita: From Slave to Saint - Diocese of Westminster Born in the village of Olgossa (Darfur, Sudan) in 1869, Bakhita had a twin sister, she was loved and she lived peacefully. Learn more about the people of Sudan and the ongoing conflict in their country. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. A young student once asked Bakhita: "What would you do, if you were to meet your captors?" Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. If anyone asked her how she was, she would reply, "As the master desires.". She was resold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan. Children and adults alike flocked to her, enjoying her good heart, good nature, good works, and her love of people. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Josephine Bakhita entered the convent in 1893 and took her vows December 8, 1896. 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. Before long, they were planning an escape. Top 10 facts about Josephine THE Empress Josephine of France, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, died 200 years ago today, on May 29, 1814. She would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse. Born in the village of Olgossa (Darfur, Sudan) in 1869, Bakhita had a twin sister, she was loved and she lived peacefully. And the shining figure in the night? For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. You will need: colored construction . Gift Subscription When Mimmina was old enough to be sent to a boarding school in Venice, Bakhita accompanied her. Find out where they obtain services in your community, and volunteer to help. Italian saint and former slave (18691947), Dagnino, p.10. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Vannini Death: February 8, 1947. 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 kidnapped by slave traders at the age of seven; they gave her the name Bakhita, which means "lucky." She died in 1947 in Italy. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery as a child Everyone assured us that they had met her. One of her owners was a Turkish general who gave her to his wife and mother-in-law who both beat her daily. Bakhita remained in the catechumenate where she experienced the call . 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. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. She then died. Her first owner, a wealthy Arab, gave her to his daughters as a maid. 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. The colour of her skin had either frightened or attracted the little ones, who thought she was made of chocolate, and intrigued the grown-ups, who had never seen people of other ethnic groups; but that very colour became the privilege given them to have known and loved someone who was different, and to receive love in return. Bakhita knew the reality of being a slave, an immigrant, and a spiritual seeker. Bakhita became devoted to the child. 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. Mothers lifted her hands and placed them on the heads of their children, praying for her blessing. Selling his house and lands took longer than expected. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". Printable Catholic Saints PDFs. Yes, she is a Catholic saint, but her story can serve as an inspiration to all, no matter what their religious beliefs may be. Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf.
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