Biography of st josephine bakhita parish calendar

Bakhita was not the name she received from her parents at birth. The fright and the terrible experiences she went through made her forget the name she was given by her parents. Sold and resold in the markets of El Obeid and of Khartoum, she experienced the humiliations and sufferings of slavery, both physical and moral. For the first time since the day she was kidnapped, she realized with pleasant surprise, that no one used the lash when giving her orders; instead, she was treated in a loving and cordial way.

Political situations forced the Consul to leave for Italy. Bakhita asked and obtained permission to go with him and with a friend of his, a certain Mr. Augusto Michieli. On arrival in Genoa, Mr. Legnani, pressured by the request of Mr. When their daughter Mimmina was born, Bakhita became her babysitter and friend. The acquisition and management of a big hotel in Suakin, on the Red Sea, forced Mrs.

Michieli to move to Suakin to help her husband. Meanwhile, on the advice of their administrator, Illuminato Checchini, Mimmina and Bakhita were entrusted to the Canossian Sisters of the Institute of the Catechumens in Venice. After several months in the catechumenate, Bakhita received the sacraments of Christian initiation and was given the new name, Josephine.

It was January 9, She did not know how to express her joy that day.

Biography of st josephine bakhita parish calendar: – 8 February ) was a

Her big and expressive eyes sparkled, revealing deep emotions. With each new day, she became more aware of who this God was, whom she now knew and loved, who had led her to Him through mysterious ways, holding her by the hand. When Mrs. Michieli returned from Africa to take back her daughter and Bakhita, the latter, with unusual firmness and courage, expressed her desire to remain with the Canossian Sisters and to serve that God who had shown her so many proofs of His love.

The young African, who by then had come of age, enjoyed the freedom of choice which the Italian law ensured. Bakhita remained in the catechumenate where she experienced the call to be a religious, and to give herself to the Lord in the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa. For another 50 years, this humble Daughter of Charity, a true witness of the love of God, lived in the community in Schio, engaged in various services: cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to the door.

When she was on duty at the door, she would gently lay her hands on the heads of the children who daily attended the Canossian schools and caress them. Her amiable voice, which had the inflection and rhythm of the music of her country, was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering and encouraging for those who knocked at the door of the Institute.

Her humility, her simplicity and her constant smile won the hearts of all the citizens. Her sisters in the community esteemed her for her inalterable sweet nature, her exquisite goodness and her deep desire to make the Lord known. What a great grace it is to know God! As she grew older she experienced long, painful years of sickness. Mother Bakhita continued to witness to faith, goodness and Christian hope.

It was Mary Most Holy who freed her from all pain. Our Lady! Her simplicity was convincing and danger was averted. Everything is amazing in her, just as the restoring water which gushes out of a spring!

Biography of st josephine bakhita parish calendar: – Patron Saint of

On that 8 Februaryyoung and old still sought her for a greeting, to touch her hand, still soft and warm, and to receive a last caress from her: they wanted to hold her forever. Reception centres, training courses or places named after Saint Bakhita are being built throughout various parts of Italy. We rejoiced to learn that the human integration centre in Cerignola is dedicated to her.

Bakhita, the first canonized Sudanese saint, led the way for those who today seek among us hope for their life. Saint Bakhita seems to be a made-to-measure saint to comfort the peace and reconciliation workers of our time. Her memories remind us that what bonds us is the same need for love, well beyond our individual beliefs.

Biography of st josephine bakhita parish calendar: Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was

Indeed, realizing that she could not return home, little Bakhita, lifted up her innocent face and saw God. Evangelii Gaudiumn. It is the process of life that discovers happiness in being free in order to free humanity n. The testimonies present us her filial, apostolic — which will see us meet again in Heaven — and fraternal friendship.

Everything in her reveals an inner order, a reflection of a healthy and good nature. What a great grace it is to know God! The first steps toward her beatification began in She was beatified in and canonized eight years later. Saint of the Day. Saint Josephine Bakhita. February 8 Franciscan Media Saint of the Day. Image: Stained Glass of St. Gaurav Shroff flickr Saint of the Day for February 8 c.

Learn more about Saint Josephine Bakhita! Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. Josephine Bakhita was born inin a small village in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was kidnapped while working in the fields with her family and subsequently sold into slavery. Retrospectively, Bakhita was very fortunate, but the first years of her life do not necessarily attest to it.

She was tortured by her various owners who branded her, beat and cut her. In her biography she notes one particularly terrifying moment when one of her masters cut her times and poured salt in her wounds to ensure that the scars remained.