Saint Josephine Bakhita 8 Feb

 New Missal – Proper of Saints

8 February

Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin

From the Common of Virgins: For One Virgin (p. 1150).

Collect

O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter and a bride of Christ, grant, we pray, that by her example

we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity

and prompt to show compassion.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  

The New Missal includes the Collect of the Saint Josephine Bakhita.
The Principal Celebrant this morning was Abbot Joseph of Mount Saint Bernard.
He is leading our Annual Retreat at Nunraw.

saints.sqpn.com/saint-josephine-bakhita/   

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Also known as

• Giuseppina Bakhita
• Madre Moretta
• Sister Moretta

Memorial

• 8 February

Profile

Born to a wealthy Sudanese family, she was kidnapped by slave-traders at age 9, and given the name Bakhita (lucky) by them. Sold and resold in the markets at El Obeid and Khartoum, finally purchased in 1883 by Callisto Legnani, Italian consul who planned to free her. She accompanied Legnani to Italy in 1885, and worked as a nanny for the family of Augusto Michieli. She was treated well in Italy and grew to love the country. An adult convert the Christianity, she joined the Church on 9 January 1890, she took the name of Josephine as a symbol of her new life.

She entered the Institute of Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice, Italy in 1893, taking her vows on8 December 1896 in Verona, Italy and serving as a Canossian Sister for the next fifty years. Her gentle presence, her warm, amiable voice, and her willingness to help with any menial task were a comfort to the poor and suffering people who came to the door of the Institute. After a biography of her was published in 1930, she became a noted and sought after speaker, raising funds to support missions.

Born

• 1868 at Oglassa, Darfur, Sudan 

Died

• 8 February 1947 of natural causes in Italy

Venerated

• 1 December 1978 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)

Beatified

• 17 May 1992 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

• 1 October 2000 by Pope John Paul II at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
• thought to be the only saint originally from Sudan

Patronage

• Sudan