St. Josephine Bakhita: From Slave to Saint

Today in the Catholic Church is the feast day of Josephine Margaret Bakhita, whose life story is truly an epic tale of upheaval, tragedy, danger, redemption, hope, forgiveness, and greatness.

Despite the cruelty of her fellow men, she forgave them; despite the prejudices of her fellow men, she came to love them. She went from being a kidnapped slave girl in Sudan to a beloved saint and protectress in Schio, Vicenza, Italy. There were those who hated her and those who revered her during her life, but she is now fixed eternally as a canonized saint of the Catholic Church.

She first suffered a great deal as a slave, particularly from one very sick woman, but finally one of her owners brought her to Italy, where she obtained her freedom and found a true home with the Canossian Sisters. As cook, doorkeeper, and speaker, she inspired many.

Read the remarkable story of Josephine Bakhita on Substack!