Saint Josephine Bakhita
A Sudanese girl enslaved as a child who became a Canossian sister in northern Italy
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Religious, Virgin
- Life
- 1869 – 1947
- Era
- 20th century
- Feast
- 8 February
- Countries
- Sudan, Italy
Life story
Bakhita was born around 1869 in the Darfur region of what is now Sudan. At about seven she was kidnapped by slave traders and was so frightened that she forgot her own name; the name Bakhita, meaning fortunate, was given by her captors. She was sold to several owners and suffered brutal treatment that left scars for life.
In 1883 Bakhita was bought by Callisto Legnani, the Italian consul in Khartoum. In 1885 he took her to Italy and entrusted her to the Michieli family as nanny to their daughter. When Mrs Michieli travelled to Africa, she was placed in the institute of the Canossian sisters in Venice. There she learned the faith and was baptised in 1890, taking the name Josephine; an Italian court also recognised her as free, since slavery was not recognised in that country.
Josephine Bakhita entered the Canossian Daughters of Charity and made her profession in 1896. From 1902 she lived in the convent at Schio, in the Vicenza area, working as cook, doorkeeper and receiving visitors. The townspeople loved her for her gentleness, and she also told her story to the sisters, who published it in a book to raise funds for the missions.
She died on 8 February 1947 at Schio. John Paul II beatified her in 1992 and canonised her on 1 October 2000. The Church remembers her on 8 February, and she is often named patron of Sudan and of victims of human trafficking.
Works and witness
- Kidnapped in Darfur at about seven and sold several times
- Bought by an Italian consul and taken to Italy in 1885
- Baptised in Venice in 1890 and recognised as free by an Italian court
- Professed as a Canossian in 1896 and lived at Schio from 1902
- Beatified in 1992, canonised in 2000
Patron of
Sudan, Victims of human trafficking
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
- Ida Zanolini, Storia meravigliosa (the story of Bakhita, 1931)
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.