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Saint Josephine Bakhita
Bakhita died on Feb 8, 1947, and was proclaimed a saint October 1, 2000. Your Turn Bakhita lived up to the challenge to show Jesus’ love to everyone she met, despite all of the very difficult things she lived through. When things are hard for us, we are challenged to show the same kind of love. Prayer Dear Jesus, Saint Bakhita often said, "I am doing all that the Paron (African word for God) wishes of me…." Help me to show others the kind of love that God wishes of me. Home Copyright © 1999-2007, Daughters of St. Paul. All Rights Reserved.
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Bakhita
was born in Olgossa, Sudan Africa in 1869. At the age of 6, she was kidnapped
and became a slave. Several people owned Bakhita. As a slave, Bakhita
suffered terribly! Under one master, she was given 114 tattoos. This was
so extremely painful that she lay in the dark on the ground for weeks
before she was able to move. Finally she was bought by the Italian consul
and taken to Italy. Although she had never been taught about God, she
had often wondered who had created the world and everyone and everything
in it. When she was in Venice, she got to know the Canossian Sisters and
desired to be baptized. She fell in love with Jesus and became a Canossian
Sister herself! Sister Bakhita served others as a cook, she cared for
the chapel, and she answered the door. Although she had suffered so much
at the hands of other people for so long, Bakhita’s love for Jesus made
her strong enough to still believe in the goodness of others. Those who
knew her marveled at how much love she showed to everyone she met.