Also known as: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, Mother Josephine Bakhita. 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. The testimonies present us her filial, apostolic which will see us meet again in Heaven and fraternal friendship. Newsletter Signup Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. 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. She also traveled and visited other convents telling her story to other sisters and preparing them for work in Africa. She passed away on February 8, 1947. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. The sisters answered her questions. Those whom man enslaves, let God set free. Mother Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and died in Schio (Vicenza) in 1947. Illuminato Checchini, administrator of the Michieli family, who had fatherly feelings for her, was waiting for her in Zianigo. She was known for her charisma and gentleness and even expressed gratitude that her past horrors had brought her to her current life. She then died. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. 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. This ironic new name did not describe the brutal and humiliating treatment Bakhita received on a daily basis. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online Saint Josephine Bakhita | uCatholic The amazement of being so loved flowed from her heart as a river of tenderness that comforted, in a multiplicity of expressions, with the indelible touch of her presence. For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. She left for the second time, a land she felt she would never see again. Something maybe not as well-known about St. Josephine Bakhita is that her body was scarred all over. You can read more about Elizabeth on her ATI leadership profile page. Updates? Saint Bakhita is still with us today. Without hesitation, she replied: "If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands. She arrived in Italy for the first time. 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. Known as Mimmina, she was treated like a daughter by Bakhita. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Top 10 facts about Josephine | Express.co.uk Saints for kids, Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita. While she was in the custody of the sisters, she came to learn about God. February 8, 2023. Death: February 8, 1947. 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. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. Who is Bakhita? Bakhita Kids 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. Bakhita wanted to become a Christian, to receive baptism. [20], On 7 December 1893, Josephine Bakhita entered the novitiate of the Canossian Sisters and on 8 December 1896, she took her vows, welcomed by Cardinal Sarto. [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]. She was kidnapped at the age of seven and sold into slavery by. She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first Black woman to receive the honor in the modern era. Customer Service When a wound from the whip began to heal, other blows would pour down on me. As she said: If I were to meet those who kidnapped me, or even those who tortured me, I would kneel down and kiss their hands. 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. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. St. Josephine Bakhita - Catholic News Agency 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. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Darfur (now in western Sudan). She was born around 1869 in Darfur (now in western Sudan) in the village of Olgossa, west of Nyala and close to Mount Agilerei. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Saint Josephine Bakhita facts Flashcards | Quizlet She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Gift Subscription 2023 Loyola Press. 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. Who are the immigrants in your local community? Bakhita remained in the catechumenate where she experienced the call . Biography [ edit] Early life [ edit] St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin. 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. Saint Bakhita lived long ago. 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. Surrounded by the sisters, she died at age 78. Sharing the Word for May 1, 2023 Fourth Week of Easter Year 1. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! Her story is noteworthy. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Hers was not the skin of an Italian aristocrat but rather a child kidnapped and forcibly relocated in the slave trade. Bakhita replied, "Yes, I am so happy: Our Lady Our Lady!" Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. She was a source of encouragement. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" She told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. 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. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was baptized in 1890 and given the name Josephine. She used a wheelchair but she retained her cheerfulness, and if asked how she was, she would always smile and answer: "As the Master desires." Bakhita wished to stay in Italy when her owners readied for a relocation. Saint of the Day for Monday, May 1st, 2023. 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. She wanted to be good, to obey the one who gave her joy in following his voice that enlightened her from the heart. 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. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. As punishment for clumsiness, she was beaten so severely that she was incapacitated for a month and was sold again when she recovered. Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope 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. 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. Over the course of twelve years (18771889) she was sold three more times and then she was finally given her freedom. Her owners named her Bakhita, Arabic for lucky or fortunate. Imitating Him, let us place our confidence not in riches, but in your love and embrace. I thought I would die, especially when salt was poured in the wounds it was by a miracle of God I didn't die. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. Her memories remind us that what bonds us is the same need for love, well beyond our individual beliefs. The day when her life turned into a nightmare, that terrified 9-year-old girl forgot everything, even her . She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. 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. Although Bakhita never learned to read and write, she became well versed in scripture and told her story, which became her astounding biography. Forced to walk 600 miles to southern Sudan, she was bought and sold before arriving in El Obeid. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. 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. In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. She was born around the year 1869 in the African country of Sudan, in the region of Darfur, in the city of Olgossa. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. Daughter of St. Magdalene. Mother Moretta, universal sister, who is still speaking to us. For three days, her body lay in repose while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. On the advice of their business agent Illuminato Cecchini, on 29 November 1888, Michieli left both in the care of the Canossian Sisters in Venice. When Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. She was known for her gentle voice and smile. One of her owners was a Turkish general who gave her to his wife and mother-in-law who both beat her daily. This project was carried out in collaboration between the municipality and the diocesan Caritas. 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. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. After a while, she came round again. 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. 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 body lay on display for three days afterwards. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. Top 10 facts about Josephine THE Empress Josephine of France, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, died 200 years ago today, on May 29, 1814. Saint Bakhitas feast day is celebrated on February 8. It was that freedom of spirit that allowed her to follow her heart and live her true vocation. Everyone plays a rolein helping to end human trafficking. In 2015, her feast day became the first international day for prayer and reflection on human trafficking. 29-32. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. In 1883, the Turkish general sold her to the Italian Vice Consul, Callisto Legani. Saint Josephine, affectionately known as Bakhita (fortunate one), was born in the southern Sudan region of Darfur. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online It was there that Bakhita first heard the gospel and believed that it was Gods will that she be free. Born in the village of Olgossa (Darfur, Sudan) in 1869, Bakhita had a twin sister, she was loved and she lived peacefully. St. Josephine Bakhita Resources For Kids (Crafts, Printables, More!) But, she felt the separation to such an extent that with trembling lips and shining eyes she listened to the stories of the soldiers returning from Africa, informing her of their experience there, of the situation of her people. Public Domain via Wikimedia. Josephine Bakhita is the Patron Saint of Human Trafficking. An example followed by her successors, who pointed her out both to scholars and the poor, declaring her patroness of the victims and those who work to free people from all slavery, touching the flesh of Christ in those they serve. If Catholic Online has given you $5.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. It wasnt long before Bakhita realized they were lost. What was she known for? He canonized her on October 1, 2000. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. [11] She lived there for three years and became nanny to the Michieli's daughter Alice, known as 'Mimmina', born in February 1886. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to Gods people as a Canossian Sister. Bakhita: From Slave to Saint by Roberto Italo Zanini | Goodreads 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. What is it that enslaves you? She was also known as Mother Moretta, our Black Mother. It seemed that Bakhita had failed in her quest for freedom. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . 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. . Find out where they obtain services in your community, and volunteer to help. At the age of nine, she was kidnapped and sold into slavery, where a series of owners humiliated, tortured and mutilated her. 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. Although she was just a child, she was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market in El Obeid. 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 Canossian Sisters went to court on her behalf and helped her obtain her freedom. 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 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. [19] On 9 January 1890, Bakhita was baptized with the names of 'Josephine Margaret' and 'Fortunata' (the Latin translation of the Arabic Bakhita). If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. 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. Customer Service:cservice @franciscanmedia.org, Technical Questions:support @franciscanmedia.org, Writers GuidelinesPrivacy PolicyPost a Prayer RequestDonor Portal. Of that traumatic mutilation she reportedly said, I thought I would die, especially when salt was poured in the woundsit was by a miracle of God I didnt die. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. Finally in possession of her human autonomy for the first time in her adult life, Josephine chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. 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.
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