Joséphine Bakhita

Joséphine Bakhita (1869-1947) is born with the Sudan, province of the Darfur, in Olgossa, close to the Agilerei Mount, in the Nubian tribe of Dagiù.

Its childhood - slavery

Exit of a family made up of four sisters and three brothers, it sees his Kishmet sister removed under her eyes by traffickers of slaves in 1874. In its turn, whereas it had nearly 9 years, it is the victim of slave traders which sell it and resell it several times, on the markets of El Obeid and Khartoum, by inflicting ill treatments to him. The traumatism is so large that she will forget its first name of it. Thus one gives him the name of Bakhita , which means the lucky one.

It belonged to a Turkish general who had made him undergo cruel scarifications (tattooings) when this last decided to sell all its slaves. Bakhita is then acquired by the consul of Italy in Khartoum, Calisto Legnani, in 1883. Its life changes then radically: “ the new Master was rather good and it was caught affection for me. I have more reprimands, blows, punishments, so that, in front of all that, I still hesitated to accept such an amount of peace and peace ”

Arrival in Italy

In 1885, the Legnani consul must leave Sudan because of the revolution mahdist and Bakhita requires of him to take it along. It accepts and they embark with a friendly family, Michieli. Arrived at Genoa, Mrs Maria Turina Michieli asks to keep Bakhita with her service. She arrives thus at Ziagino, in the province of Venice.

Mrs Michieli having had a little girl, Mimmina, it entrusts the guard of it to Bakhita which is occupied some with much tenderness. It is together that they turn over to the Sudan, before returning again to Italy. There, Mrs Michieli entrusts for a short period her little girl and Bakhita to the institute of the Catechists of Venice, held by the nuns canossiennes. And there, when Mrs Michieli wants to take it again to bring back it to it, it asks to remain in the nuns, in spite of its sadness to leave Mimmina, which was accepted with difficulties. Mrs Michieli refusing to separate from Bakhita, it tried to utilize various personalities to leave it the Institute. The business went until a lawsuit. Nevertheless, on November 29th 1889, the prosecutor declared that Bakhita was free to choose where she wanted to remain since slavery did not exist in Italy.

“ the Sisters made my instruction with much patience, says it, and made known me this God that any child I felt in my heart without knowing which it was. Seeing the sun, the moon and stars, I said myself in myself: who thus is the Master of these beautiful things? And I tested a great desire for seeing it, for knowing it and for paying my homages to him”.

January 9th 1890, it is baptized by the cardinal of Venice, Monseigneur Agostini, and receives the Confirmation. She liked to kiss the baptismal font while saying: “ Here, I became girl of God ”.

Its religious life

After three years, she asked to become nun, at the 24 years age. The higher sister, Anna Previtali, say to him: “ Neither the color of the skin, nor the social position are obstacles to become sister. ”. December 7th 1893, Bakhita joined the noviciate of the Sisters of Charity at the institute of catechumenate of Venice.

It is on December 8th 1896, with Vérone, which she pronounces her first wishes. In 1902, it is transferred to Schio, province of Vicenza where, during more than fifty years, it deals of the kitchen, the linen room, the caretaker's lodge. In 1927, it pronounces its perpetual wishes. Aimee of all, one gives him the nickname of Petite Black Mother (Veined Moretta). She said: “ Be good, love the Lord, request for those which do not know it. See as is large the grace to know God. ”.

In 1910, she wrote her history following the request for her higher, sister Margherita Bonotto.

During the Second world war the town of Schio is threatened of bombardments. The Sisters who invite it to take refuge in the underground of the house, she answers: “ Not, I am not afraid, I am in the hands of God. It released me with the hands of the lions, the tigers and the panthers, don't you want only it saves me also bombs? ”.

After long and painful disease, and a painful anguish where she revived during the days of her slavery while murmuring: “ Release my chains, they hurt me ”, it dies out on February 8th, 1947 while calling upon: “ Notre Dame! Notre Dame! ”.

Immediately, people run on his tomb, and much from graces are obtained there.

Currently a fresco of the apse of the cathedral of El-Obeïd in Sudan represents a Virgin with the child: Marie shows her Son in Africa. At its sides, with knees, are Sainte Joséphine Bakhita and the happy Daniel Comboni.

Beatification - Canonization

Béatifiée on May 17th 1992, it was canonized by Jean-Paul II on October 1st 2000.

The Pope will say to this occasion: “ This holy girl of Africa, shows that it is truly a child of God: the love and the forgiveness of God are tangible realities which transform its life in an extraordinary way ”.

Celebrates

February 8th

Quotations

In connection with its purchase by the Consul Legnani : “ I was not yet free but the things started to change: finished the whips, the punishments, the insults, in short, ten years of inhuman treatment”.

In connection with the slave traders : “ I never hated anybody. Who knows, perhaps whom it did not go account of the evil that they made? ”

When one asked him what it thought of its torturers :

“ If I met these slave traders who removed me and these which tortured me, I would kneel to kiss the hands to them, because if that had not arrived I would not be maintenat Christian and religious ”
“ the poor, can be did not know they that they made me so badly: they they were the Masters, and me I was their slave. Just as we are accustomed to make the good, thus the slave traders did that, by practice, not by spite ”.

On its faith : “ the Blessed Virgin protected me, even when I did not know it. Even at the bottom of the discouragement and sadness, when I was slave, I never despaired, because I felt in me a mysterious force which supported me. I did not die about it, because the good god had intended to me for " things meilleures". And I known finally this God that I felt in my heart since I was small, without knowing who it was. ”

During its disease : “ I from go away slowly, slowly, step by step towards eternity. Jesus is my captain and me, I am his assistant. I must carry the bags. One contains my debts, the other, heavier, the infinite merits of Jesus. What will I make in front of the court of God? I will cover my debts with the merits of Jesus and I will say to our Heavenly Father: now judge what you see. To the sky I will go with Jesus and I will obtain many graces. I will come to visit you in your dreams if the Owner allows it to me. With the paradise I will have capacity and I will obtain for all much graces ”

At the time of its death: “ When a person likes much another, it ardently wishes to approach it, therefore why fear death so much? Death takes us along to God ”.

Prayer

Written the day of its Religious Profession, on December 8th, 1896:

“ O Lord, if I could fly over there, near my people and to preach with all with great cries your kindness: Oh, how much hearts I could conquer you! First of all my mother and my father, my brothers, my sister still slave… all, all Black poor of Africa, make, O Jesus, that they also know you and love you! ”

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