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St. Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan and was kidnapped at the age of 7 and made a slave. She was tortured and humiliated. She was moved to become a Catholic while being placed at the Institute of Catechumens in Venice, Italy, while her owner traveled back to Sudan. The institute was run by the Canossian Sisters. The sisters taught her about God and she wished to be baptized. The sisters took Josephine’s slavery to court, and she was declared free. She joined the Religious Order. Josephine did not allow the tragedy of her past to rule her life; she put her trust in God. She realized her true identity was not how this world sees her, but how she is seen through God’s eyes. Josephine was deeply thankful for her captors because they caused her to find her way to Jesus and become part of the Catholic Church. She died on February 8, 1978 and was canonized on October 1, 2000.
St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us.
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