interesting facts about saint josephine bakhita
Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venices Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. When a wound from the whip began to heal, other blows would pour down on me. | Irondale, AL 35210 |. When she had made her patterns; the woman took the razor and made incisions along the lines. On 1 December 1978, Pope John Paul II declared Josephine Venerable, the first step towards canonization. He canonized her on October 1, 2000. Bakhita was not a Christian, but she had always looked to the night sky and wanted to know the One who had created the moon and stars. 42743. 6 Intriguing Facts About the Amazing & Courageous St. Josephine Bakhita Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. 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. She was resold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan. Once, they hid behind a thorn hedge for two hours while a long caravan passed nearby. She then remained in the catechumenate for four more years. Daughter of St. Magdalene. In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. Bakhita wanted to become a Christian, to receive baptism. The day when her life turned into a nightmare, that terrified 9-year-old girl forgot everything, even her . We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. Our universal sister was given back to us. She arrived in Italy for the first time. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters. As a slave, her experiences varied from fair treatment to cruel. Bakhita converted to Christianity and was baptized and confirmed in 1890. For, if these things had not happened, I would not have been a Christian and a religious today". In 2018, we published the testimonies of those who actually knew Mother Bakhita. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. [26] On 10 February 1993, he solemnly honoured Bakhita on her own soil. St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online To the girls who asked her if she wished to be born white she said no: for her everything her Master/her Lord had done was fine. She was gentle and charismatic, and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother.". St. Josephine Bakhita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Their chance came one day when the overseer carelessly left them unchained and alone. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery as a child Advertising This was the school of the Creator that she attended after the school of her family, which she always longed for. Josephine was declared free on the grounds that slavery was not recognized in Italy and had been outlawed in Darfur before her birth. When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. She also cared for war victims during world war 1. For the rest of her life, Bakhita remained in Italy and lived as a free woman. All rights reserved. Something maybe not as well-known about St. Josephine Bakhita is that her body was scarred all over. When Bakhita was seven or eight, Arab slave traders kidnapped her and sold her into slavery. uCatholic. Sculpture of Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron of human trafficking Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Darfur (now in western Sudan). What happened to the Catholic Knights Hospitaller? What was she known for? (Fortunata is the Latin translation for her Arabic name, Bakhita). St. Josephine Bakhta Research Paper - 298 Words | Bartleby Death: February 8, 1947. Josephine wrote that as soon as one wound would heal, they would inflict another. 1) Sudanese-Italian Canossian nun who survived 12 years of brutal slavery. She was forced to walk barefoot about 960 kilometres (600mi) to El-Obeid and was sold and bought twice before she arrived there. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Most people donate because Catholic Online is useful. Bulk Subscription, About We are a team of people dedicated to defeating the scourge of human trafficking through uniquely targeted programs. Who are the immigrants in your local community? Image credit: Saint Josephine Bakhita by unknown artist, unknown date. Episcopal Church in the United States of America, "AFROL Background Josephine Bakhita an African Saint", "Canossian Daughters of Charity Who We Are", Black Catholic Theology: A Historical Perspective, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josephine_Bakhita&oldid=1152154584, 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns, Sudanese Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns, Christian female saints of the Late Modern era, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using Template:Post-nominals with customized linking, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1 October 2000, St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 15:04. Flogging and maltreatment were part of her daily life. 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). To all our readers, Please don't scroll past this. Her story is noteworthy. 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. St. Josephine BakhitaA Model of Faith. In 1883, Bakhita was sold to an Italian family who treated her with kindness and respect. The greatest revelation of such love was forgiveness, which was expressed with gratitude in grasping Gods Providence in the traumas of the experience of being kidnapped as a child and the inhuman life that followed. Saint Bakhitas feast day is celebrated on February 8. She was baptized on January 9, 1890 and took the name Josephine Margaret and Fortunata. Your email address will not be published. Josephine was born in the Daju village of Olgossa in Darfur. Bakhita Charities is named after her. The sisters she lived with experienced the humanizing power of motherhood in her friendship. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. Vatican City, Feb 3, 2022 / 10:15 am (CNA). Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Because, if those things had not happened, I would not have become a Christian and would not be a Sister today.. Someone asked her, "How are you? Under their care, Josephine was drawn to the Roman Catholic Church. She lay in state for three days, and mourners noticed that her limbs remained flexible. 3) Her feast day marks an international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. 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. 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. On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" 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. She was born around 1869 in Darfur (now in western Sudan) in the village of Olgossa, west of Nyala and close to Mount Agilerei. Slavery was illegal in Italy, so Bakhita was able to leave her Italian owners and follow Gods calling for her. Required fields are marked *. During the war, because of her colour, she was also mistaken for being a spy, but she did not get upset, she accompanied those who wanted to arrest her to where she lived and, showing them the window in her room, explained that since her arrival in Italy she had received the gift of vocation. 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. She left for the second time, a land she felt she would never see again. 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. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. Josephine Bakhita was made a saint on by October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul ll. In Venice, her story of ransom from slavery, the gift of her faith was well known. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery, and welcoming visitors at the door. 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. Josephine Margaret Bakhita, F.D.C.C. 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." and faith. Saint John Cassian's feast day is February 29. 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. Find out where they obtain services in your community, and volunteer to help. After that, she was sold. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Saint Josephine, Bakhita, c. 1868-1947 | Loyola Press 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. Six years later she entered the Canossian Sisters convent in Schio, Italy. a quick bio of st. josephine bakhita. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. 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. She also traveled and visited other convents telling her story to other sisters and preparing them for work in Africa. [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 constant smile, humility and simplicity won peoples hearts. Children and adults alike flocked to her, enjoying her good heart, good nature, good works, and her love of people. During World War II, the people of the village of Schio regarded her as their protector. [19] On 9 January 1890, Bakhita was baptized with the names of 'Josephine Margaret' and 'Fortunata' (the Latin translation of the Arabic Bakhita). Sharing the Word for May 1, 2023 Fourth Week of Easter Year 1. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. At the age of 13 she was sold to a Turkish general and every day his mistresses punished her with whips and beatings. [16] Two years later, when Legnani himself had to return to Italy, Bakhita begged to go with him. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. 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. According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. St. Josephine BakhitaA Model of Faith | Franciscan Media She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. 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. 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. Her new owners took her to their family villa at Zianigo, near Mirano, Veneto, about 25km (16mi) west of Venice. Beatified: May 17, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. 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. 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.Paulette Goto Chicken Marsala, Articles I