Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!
St. Josephine Bakhita – Canossian Sister (1868 - 1947)
Feast Day: February 8th
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About St. Josephine Bakhita
St. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1868 to a wealthy family in the Darfur region of present-day Sudan. Her early childhood was peaceful, but her life changed dramatically when she was kidnapped by slave traders at about the age of nine. The trauma she experienced was so severe that she forgot the name given to her at birth. Her captors mockingly called her “Bakhita,” which means “fortunate” in Arabic, a name that remained with her throughout her life. Despite years of suffering, cruelty, and forced labor, Josephine Bakhita eventually became a powerful symbol of faith, forgiveness, and human dignity.
During her years in slavery, Bakhita was sold multiple times in the markets of El Obeid and Khartoumand. After each sale, she endured harsh treatment from her different owners. One of the most painful experiences involved physical torture and scarification, practices that left permanent marks on her body. She was often beaten and humiliated, and she later recalled living in constant fear.
In 1883, Bakhita was purchased by an Italian diplomat named Callisto Legnani. Unlike her previous owners, his treatment of her was much kinder. When political unrest forced him to return to Italy, Bakhita traveled with Legnani. This move proved to be a turning point in her life. In Italy, she worked as a nanny for the Michieli family, who eventually left her in the care of the Canossian Sisters in Venice while they traveled abroad. It was through the sisters that Bakhita truly experienced Christianity.
The sisters treated her with compassion and respect, something she had rarely experienced before. Through their example, she began learning about the faith and came to believe in a loving God who had always protected her, even during her darkest moments. Bakhita later described her discovery of God as the realization that “the Master” she had unknowingly sought all her life had finally been revealed to her.
When the Michieli family attempted to reclaim her and take her back to Africa, Bakhita refused to leave the convent. Italian courts ruled that slavery was illegal in Italy and declared her a free woman. This legal decision marked the first true freedom she had ever known. Soon afterward, she chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters and was baptized in 1890. She took the name Josephine as a sign of her conversion. Josephine would enter religious life in 1893 and profess her perpetual vows as a Canossian sister in 1896.
As a Canossian sister, Sr. Josephine dedicated her life to serving others. She worked as a cook, sacristan, and porter, carrying out her humble tasks with remarkable joy and patience. People who met her were struck by her gentleness, kindness, and sense of peace. Although she had every reason to feel bitterness toward those who had harmed her, she instead spoke about forgiveness. She believed that hatred would only continue the cycle of suffering.
Sr. Josephine’s story became widely known throughout Italy, especially after missionaries shared her experiences to raise awareness about slavery and human trafficking. Despite the horrors she endured, she consistently emphasized gratitude and faith rather than anger. Her life demonstrated the extraordinary ability of God's grace to enable her to overcome cruelty with forgiveness, compassion, and hope.
In 1930, a biography about her life spread her story to more people. And, as a result, Sr. Josephine was able to speak about her experiences and God's mercy through numerous public speaking opportunities. She used these talks to help raise money for missions.
In her later years, Sr. Josephine suffered from illness and physical pain, much of it connected to the abuse she experienced as a child. Even so, she remained cheerful and spiritually devoted. During World War II, many people in her town sought comfort in her prayers and presence. She became known affectionately as “Madre Moretta,” meaning “Little Black Mother,” reflecting the love and respect local people felt for her.
Sr. Josephine died on February 8, 1947, in Schio, Italy. Her final words reportedly expressed trust in the Virgin Mary. After her death, devotion to her spread steadily, and many people regarded her as a model of Christian holiness and perseverance.
In 1992, Pope St. John Paul II beatified her, and in 2000 he canonized her. During the canonization ceremony, he praised her courage and her witness to the power of forgiveness. Today, Saint Josephine Bakhita is recognized worldwide as the patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Her feast day is celebrated on February 8, which is also observed as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. Her life continues to inspire people of many backgrounds, not only because she survived terrible suffering, but because she allowed the Lord to transform her pain into compassion. Saint Josephine Bakhita stands as a reminder that our human dignity cannot be destroyed by oppression and that faith and forgiveness through Christ can triumph even after profound injustice.
Feast Day: February 8th
Patron saint of Sudan
Patron saint of Africa