Saint Josephine Bakhita

“I am definitely loved and whatever happens to me—I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good.” —St. Josephine Bakhita

I was instantly captivated by this incredible woman’s serenity and deep trust in the Lord. Born in Sudan, Bakhita was sold into slavery as a child, horribly mistreated and cruelly scarred by different owners until she won her freedom in the Italian court and joined the Canossian Sisters in Venice. When speaking of her enslavement, she said, “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.” She was known for her gentle voice and smile. She is the patron saint of Sudan.