If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today… St. Josephine Bakhita
St. Josephine lived from 1868 until 1947. She was taken from her parents as a young child in Sudan, and she never knew about God. She was a slave to many different men, until the Italian government intervened and sent her to live with nuns. Although as a child she did not know about God, she felt a presence close to her that comforted her. Once she learned of God, she spoke with love and zeal about him.
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."
Celebrating this Feast Day as a Family
- Pray for all those who do not love or know God.
- Eat a Sudanese Meal.
- Pray for all people who are oppressed and abused.
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