Saint Stories: Saint Josephine Bakhita

St. Josephine Bakhita’s journey from slavery to sanctity is a testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative power of God’s grace.

In the late 1800s, she was abducted from her home in Sudan by slave traders at the tender age of seven and endured the unimaginable suffering of being sold and resold. The frightful circumstances in which she found herself caused her to forget her birth name. Bakhita, meaning “lucky” was the name given to her by the slave traders.

After 12 years of brutal treatment, her life took a significant turn when she was eventually sold to an Italian diplomat, Callisto Legnani. To Bakhita’s surprise, she experienced warmth and joy among Legnani’s company. She traveled to Italy with him where she met the Canossian Sisters. Bakhita encountered the love of Christ through the kindness and care of the Sisters, leading her to convert to Catholicism. She said, “Seeing the sun, the moon, and the stars, I said to myself: Who could be the Master of these beautiful things? And I felt a great desire to know Him and to pay Him homage.”

Upon gaining her freedom from slavery, Bakhita chose to dedicate her life to God by joining the Canossian Sisters. She took the name Josephine and embraced a life of prayer, service, and humility. Her joyful spirit and profound gratitude for God’s mercy became evident in her daily life, inspiring those around her. One of her duties was attending the door of the convent, where she would lay hands on the children in attendance of the Cassonian schools. Her gentle caress and friendly voice, imbued with the inflection and rhythm of her heritage was a comfort to the poor and suffering who visited.

St. Josephine Bakhita’s legacy lies in her ability to overcome the horrors of slavery through faith and forgiveness. Despite the immense pain of her past, she chose not to harbor resentment or hatred. Instead, she forgave her captors and found solace in the embrace of a loving God. She said, “If I was to meet those slave raiders that abducted me and those who tortured me, I’d kneel down to kiss their hands, because, if it had not have been for them, I would not have become a Christian and religious woman.”

Bakhita’s canonization in 2000 by Pope John Paul II further solidified her legacy as a Saint. She exchanged trauma and oppression for love of God and it exuded her being. St. Josephine Bakhita’s life encourages all God’s faithful to seek healing, embrace the transformative power of His love, and extend forgiveness even in the face of profound injustice. She said, “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!”

We are all called to the level of forgiveness and reliance on God that transcends all suffering whether self-inflicted or externally imposed. Following the example of St. Josephine Bakhita and through her intercession, may we experience transformation by God’s grace this Lent.