Feb. 8: Feast of Josephine Bakhita

Josephine Bakhita is a modern saint, both in time and in scope. She was born in Sudan in the late 1860's. At the age of 7, she was kidnapped and sold into slavery. She lived a hard life, being resold several times in 8 years. Finally, in 1883, she sold to the Italian consul to Sudan. Two years later, she was moved with the family back to Italy where she still remained a slave.

Once in Italy, she was given to a friend to act as a babysitter, and she accompanied the child to Venice's Institute of the Catechumens, run by Canossian sisters. Once there, she felt drawn to the Catholic church. When the family returned, they wished to take Josephine and her babysat back to Africa. Josephine refused and the Italian court, with the help of the Canossian sisters intervening on her behalf, ruled she was free.

Once free, she joined the joined the Canossian sisters, serving others. As was said about her by Leonard Foley, O.F.M, "She who worked under many 'masters' was finally happy to address God as "master" and carry out everything that she believed to be God's will for her."

During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."

Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

-Servant Song, Richard Gillard