St. Josephine Bakhita
(c. 1868-1947)
For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit
was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed.
Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan,
Josephine was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given the
name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was re-sold several times,
finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan.
Two years later he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to
his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli,
whom she accompanied to Venice's Institute of the Catechumens, run by the
Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to
the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name
Josephine.
When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take
Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. During the
ensuing court case, the Canossian sisters and the patriarch of Venice
intervened on Josephine's behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery was
illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885.
Josephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa
in 1893 and made her profession three years later. 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. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters' school
and the local citizens. She once said, "Be good, love the Lord, pray for
those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!"
The first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. She
was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.
Comment:
Josephine's body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not
touch her inner spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward
asserting her civic freedom and then service to God's people as a Canossian
sister.
She who worked under many "masters" was finally
happy to address God as "master" and carry out everything that she
believed to be God's will for her.
Quote:
During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John
Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of
genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance
but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from
oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full
exercise of their rights."
source: http://www.americancatholic.org/
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