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Saint Josephine Bakhita
Optional memorial February 8Virgin, patroness of Sudan

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Kidnapped and enslaved as a child in Sudan, she found freedom in Christ and became a gentle sister known as the 'Black Mother.'

Photograph of Saint Josephine Bakhita. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Who was Saint Josephine Bakhita?

Bakhita was born around 1869 in the Darfur region of Sudan. As a young girl she was kidnapped by slave traders, and the trauma was so great that she forgot her own name; her captors called her Bakhita, 'the lucky one.' She was sold several times and suffered terrible cruelty, including scarring.

In 1883 she was bought by an Italian consul who took her to Italy, where she cared for the daughter of the Michieli family. While staying with the Canossian Sisters in Venice she came to know Christ, and in 1889 an Italian court declared her free. She was baptized in 1890 with the name Josephine and joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity in 1896. For over forty years in Schio she served as cook, sacristan and doorkeeper, loved for her gentleness. She died on February 8, 1947, and was canonized by Saint John Paul II in 2000.

Feast day and traditions

Since 2015 the Church observes February 8 as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, placing it under her protection.

In Schio, Italy, pilgrims visit her tomb, and in Sudan and South Sudan her feast is a day of great joy. Pope Benedict XVI made her a model of hope in his encyclical Spe Salvi.

Prayer

Saint Josephine Bakhita, you knew slavery and found true freedom in Christ. Pray for all who are trafficked or abused, that they may be set free and healed, and fill our hearts with your gentle hope. Amen.

Novena

To pray a novena that ends on the eve of the feast, begin on January 30 and finish on February 7.

Mass readings

Read the Mass readings for February 8 from the US bishops (USCCB).

Open readings →

Celebrate as a family

Talk with older children about modern slavery in age-appropriate terms and pray together for those who are not free.

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