St Josephine Bakhita Was Born in Sudan C 1869. When She Was Around 7 Years Old, She Was Abducted by Slave Traders and Sold to an Arab Family

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St Josephine Bakhita Was Born in Sudan C 1869. When She Was Around 7 Years Old, She Was Abducted by Slave Traders and Sold to an Arab Family

As November is the month of All Saints & All Souls, we will be exploring the life of a different Saint each week, and reflecting on what we can learn from their example. St Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan c 1869. When she was around 7 years old, she was abducted by slave traders and sold to an Arab family. Over her life, she was sold 3 times, was beaten, scarred and treated very badly. Her 4th owners were an Italian family who lived in Sudan. In 1884, the family took St Josephine to Italy and gave her to another family there. Her new owners wished to move back to Sudan. They left St Josephine and their children at a convent in Italy while they went to prepare a house in Sudan. While in the convent, Josephine was taught to read and write and was introduced to Christianity. When her owners came back for her, Josephine begged them to let her stay in Italy. She eventually won her freedom, converted to Christianity and spent the rest of her life with the Italian nuns, who “instructed me with heroic patience and introduced me to that God who from childhood I had felt in my heart without knowing who He was.” Born: c. 1869 Because she was so young when she was taken, St Died: 08/02/1947 Josephine Bakhita didn’t know when she was born or Patron Saint of: Human trafficking what her real name was. The slavers who abducted survivors; Sudan her called her “Bakhita” which means “lucky” and she chose the name Josephine when she was baptized in What can we learn from St Italy in 1890. Josephine Bakhita? St Josephine experienced suffering, Prayer to St Josephine Bakhita: violence, discrimination and lack of St Josephine Bakhita, respect when she was a slave. Yet You remained strong through years of cruelty and she found it in her heart to forgive her abuse. You did not become bitter, but instead your masters. Neither revenge nor anger gentle manner brought peace and strength to all. were in her heart- she was known for Help us to have courage when times are hard. her gentleness and her smile. Help us to be strong and supportive to anyone in Once she was freed, St Josephine need. was able to freely entrust her life to Help us to stay close to Jesus as you were, and to God. She found physical freedom in show his love to all. the convent and spiritual freedom in Amen. her faith. .

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St. Josephine Bakhita Was Born in Sudan in 1869 and Enslaved As a Child
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St. Josephine Bakhita
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