interesting facts about saint josephine bakhita

Find out where they obtain services in your community, and volunteer to help. Hers was not the skin of an Italian aristocrat but rather a child kidnapped and forcibly relocated in the slave trade. Born: 1869 in Sudan Read his story here. Before long, they were planning an escape. 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 told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. Beatified: May 17, 1992 This martyrdom ended when, in 1882, she was bought by Callisto Legnani, an Italian consular agent in Sudan. 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!" She was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery, eventually working in Italy as a nanny for a wealthy family. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ. 2023 Loyola Press. She was taken as a slave in her early life by Arab traders and suffered a difficult life, until her eventual freedom in Italy. Author and Publisher - Catholic Online. Bulk Subscription, About Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of 7, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which meansfortunate. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Josephine-Bakhita, Pope Francis venerating St. Josephine Bakhita. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. She would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse. It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. 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. To this end, we invite you to learn more about the life of an extraordinary trafficking survivor from history. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf. It is said that the trauma of her abduction caused her to forget her original name; she took one given to her by the slavers, bakhta (), Arabic for 'lucky' or 'fortunate'. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. Flogging and maltreatment were part of her daily life. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . When she had made her patterns; the woman took the razor and made incisions along the lines. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. She has been adopted as the patron saint of modern Sudan and human trafficking survivors. When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio. Saints for kids, Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita. She also traveled and visited other convents telling her story to other sisters and preparing them for work in Africa. Everyone assured us that they had met her. 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. To all our readers, Please don't scroll past this. 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. Although she was just a child, she was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market in El Obeid. Reception centres, training courses or places named after Saint Bakhita are being built throughout various parts of Italy. In Venice, her story of ransom from slavery, the gift of her faith was well known. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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 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. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed. (Fortunata is the Latin translation for her Arabic name, Bakhita). Not a a day went by without wounds being inflicted on her body. Josephines body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her spirit. 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. 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. Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of 7, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. When speaking of her enslavement, she often professed she would thank her kidnappers. Does the Bible Have Anything to do with My Life? Since the villa in Zianigo was already sold, Bakhita and Mimmina needed a temporary place to stay while Micheli went to Sudan without them. St. Josephine BakhitaA Model of Faith. In March 1885 they left Suakin for Italy and arrived at the port of Genoa in April. Her new owners, needing to do business in Sudan, temporarily placed her and their daughter in the custody of the Canossian Sisters at the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice in 1888. He was a much kinder master and he did not beat her. All rights reserved. For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. 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. Meet St. Josephine Bakhita! 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. In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. Sadly, the news of her beatification in 1992 was censored in Sudan. 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. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. She left Venice and arrived in Schio in 1902, after simply replying: Yes, Father, to the question concerning her transfer. She was born around the year 1869 in the African country of Sudan, in the region of Darfur, in the city of Olgossa. 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. [14] In May 1992, news of her beatification was banned by Khartoum which Pope John Paul II visited nine months later. [9], In El-Obeid, Bakhita was bought by a rich Arab who used her as a maid for his two daughters. Everything in her reveals an inner order, a reflection of a healthy and good nature. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Her uncle was a tribal chief, and her family was relatively prosperous. 1751 Pinnacle Drive Suite 600 | McLean, Virginia 22102, National Human Trafficking Intelligence Center, Parent Coalition to End Human Trafficking. Because, if those things had not happened, I would not have become a Christian and would not be a Sister today.. For three days, her body lay in repose while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. She was a source of encouragement. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". 3) Her feast day marks an international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. She was tattooed with 114 deep cuts, which were filled with salt so that the design formed by the lip ofher scars remained; marks which remained white and stood out on her very black skin; the children, towhom she told her story, who are now elderly, still remember them. When Mimmina was old enough to be sent to a boarding school in Venice, Bakhita accompanied her. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. With your help we can eradicate human trafficking in our lifetime. 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. A young student once asked Bakhita: "What would you do, if you were to meet your captors?" They ran through the wilderness all night, terrified of being caught and even more terrified of the roars of wild beasts; whenever the animals came too close, they took shelter in a tree. Another owner, a Turkish general, gave Josephine to his wife and mother-in-law, who would beat her daily. What happened to the Catholic Knights Hospitaller? Yes, she is a Catholic saint, but her story can serve as an inspiration to all, no matter what their religious beliefs may be. Read her story here. Thus, from 13 to 16 years old she experienced a Christian welcome and civil respect. "Rejoice, all of Africa! 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. After only nine months, Bakhita unexpectedly left Africa with Mimmina who did not want to leave her behind. In 1883, Bakhita was bought in Khartoum by the Italian Vice Consul Callisto Legnani, who did not beat or punish her. Augusto Michieli acquired a large hotel there and decided to sell his property in Italy and to move his family to Sudan permanently. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". 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. 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. She left for the second time, a land she felt she would never see again. Pope Francis visits with children in Budapest with visual impairments. 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. 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. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . He rejoiced at seeing her again. One of her owners was a Turkish general who gave her to his wife and mother-in-law who both beat her daily. The day when her life turned into a nightmare, that terrified 9-year-old girl forgot everything, even her . At the end of 1884 they escaped from a besieged Khartoum with a friend, Augusto Michieli. . By the end of 1882, El-Obeid came under the threat of an attack of Mahdist revolutionaries. She had freely chosen to belong to God, by whom she felt loved, and accepted once again the separation from those she loved. 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. The sisters answered her questions. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. You can read more about Elizabeth on her ATI leadership profile page. And although bombs fell on their village, not one citizen died. The Pope prayed to Saint Bakhita and asked that she intercede and assist trafficking victims. Bakhita is a saint in the Catholic Church. 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. It was then that we felt how in these years the passage from testimony to devotion was taking place. She served her convent humbly, cooking, embroidering, and sewing, and was responsible for attending the door of the convent to welcome visitors, where she was noted for her warm smile and hospitality. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. 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. Such was the trauma experienced that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita meaning 'fortunate'. [16] Two years later, when Legnani himself had to return to Italy, Bakhita begged to go with him. Bakhita wished to stay in Italy when her owners readied for a relocation. During World War II, the people of the village of Schio regarded her as their protector. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. How might God be calling you to greater freedom in this area? Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering. Her memories remind us that what bonds us is the same need for love, well beyond our individual beliefs. The map of Sudan here shows the village of Olgossa (. We increase awareness and teach you how to intercept trafficking as early as possible. Her new owners took her to their family villa at Zianigo, near Mirano, Veneto, about 25km (16mi) west of Venice. He had destined me for better things.. Evangelii Gaudium, n. 224). Public Domain via Wikimedia. Whether airline employees, medical professionals, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, or businesses,ATI stops trafficking before it startsby partnering with you at the community-level toeliminate the threat. Canonized: October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Vatican City, Feb 3, 2022 / 10:15 am (CNA). 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. Mother Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and died in Schio (Vicenza) in 1947. Children and adults alike flocked to her, enjoying her good heart, good nature, good works, and her love of people. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. 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." She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. 800-621-1008 Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Imitating Him, let us place our confidence not in riches, but in your love and embrace. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to Gods people as a Canossian Sister. But just nine months later, Pope John Paul II visited Sudan and honored her publicly. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" A total of 114 intricate patterns were cut into her breasts, belly and into her right arm.[13][14]. Free with the freedom of the saints. When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. On 1 October 2000, she was canonized as Saint Josephine Bakhita. It seemed that Bakhita had failed in her quest for freedom. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. Born in the village of Olgossa (Darfur, Sudan) in 1869, Bakhita had a twin sister, she was loved and she lived peacefully. She was loved by many in the city and was a bastion of comfort during the trials and bombings of World War II. The Canossian Sisters went to court on her behalf and helped her obtain her freedom. Saint Josephine, affectionately known as Bakhita (fortunate one), was born in the southern Sudan region of Darfur. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. When speaking of her enslavement, she often professed she would thank her kidnappers. At her canonization ceremony on October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II said of St. Josephine: In todays world, countless women continue to be victimized, even in developed modern societies. February 8, 2023. Six years later she entered the Canossian Sisters convent in Schio, Italy. She then died. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters school and the local citizens. 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 wanted to be good, to obey the one who gave her joy in following his voice that enlightened her from the heart. This project was carried out in collaboration between the municipality and the diocesan Caritas. 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. Her voice was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering. 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. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Vannini Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Bakhita remained in the catechumenate where she experienced the call . Read his story here. She died on 8 February 1947 in the country of Italy, in the city of Vincenza. This ironic new name did not describe the brutal and humiliating treatment Bakhita received on a daily basis. 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. 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. Biography [ edit] Early life [ edit] Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She had brothers, sisters, and loving parents. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. He did not waver and was adamant that Bakhita was free and had the right to choose, since slavery no longer existed in Italy. Her owners named her Bakhita, Arabic for lucky or fortunate. In 1883 she was sold to an Italian consul in Khartoum, Callisto Legnani, who treated her more humanely. They treated her relatively well, until after offending one of her owner's sons, wherein the son lashed and kicked her so severely that she spent more than a month unable to move from her straw bed. Watch Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita, available to stream or on DVD from Amazon. In her final days she relived the agony of her enslavement and is said to have called out, Please, loosen the chains. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. [11] She lived there for three years and became nanny to the Michieli's daughter Alice, known as 'Mimmina', born in February 1886. In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. 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. Canonized: October 1, 2000. Bakhita: From Slave to Saint, p. 81. Salt was poured into each of the wounds. She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. Spend some time reflecting on areas of your life where you are not free. 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. Josephine was her confirmation name. Died: 1947 in Italy [2] She was one of the Daju people;[3][4] her respected and reasonably prosperous father was brother of the village chief. It is interesting what Ida Zanolini, a lay Canossian woman who published Mother Bakhitas first biography, wrote about 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. 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. Intercede with God on their behalf 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. Saint Katharine Drexel was a contemplative in action whose work serving the poor inspires us today. Something maybe not as well-known about St. Josephine Bakhita is that her body was scarred all over. She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. Her owners named her Bakhita, Arabic for lucky or fortunate. Your email address will not be published. In Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, we grasped the indications of a path, that is, of a school of humanity, defined in the words of Romano Guardini, who calls human fullness the possibility to live humanly, equally shared with all those who are in the same place (cf. Show the volunteers who bring you reliable, Catholic information that their work matters. Despite the trauma that Bakhita endured, she was able to find direction and value in her life, which can serve as an example and a solace to all who suffer, especially those who have been exploited. Thank you. . 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, Virgin. Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. Pope John Paul II canonized Josephine Bakhita in 2000. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". 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 sisters she lived with experienced the humanizing power of motherhood in her friendship. Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Bakhita wished to stay in Italy when her owners readied for a relocation. [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. She was born in Sudan, Africa to a loving, and prosperous family. Canonized: October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. 'Bakhita' was not the name she received from her parents at birth. The sisters answered her questions. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. [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. The daughter of Sudan sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free. She arrived in Italy for the first time. 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. Over the next decade of enslavement, Josephine was passed from owner to owner, bought and sold so many times that she forgot her birth name.