Biography

Internal evidence places her birth in the Darfur region of western Sudan, as a member of the Daju tribe, When Josephine was 78, she was taken at knife and gun point by a pair of slave-traders. When her captors asked her what her name was, she was so terrified that she forgot her name. They called her Bakhita, which means “lucky one.”

Bakhita was sold several times from owner to owner, traumatized throughout. When she was sold to an Arab chief, she offended his son without knowing. The son beat her unconscious and it took her a month to recover.

After the chief, she was sold to a Turkish Army general. His mother and wife  tattooed her with about 140 cuts on her chest, belly and arms. They even rubbed the wounds in salt so they stayed fresh. The wounds were a traditional mark of ownership of slaves.

A few years later, Bakhita was bought by an Italian consul, Signor Calisto Legnani. This owner freed her, and paid her to work as a maid. She was finally treated respectfully. He had to return over seas though, and she begged to be taken with the family. The consul brought her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became his daughter Alice’s nanny, and then she was left alone with Alice in Italy.

She wasn’t just alone though. The Micheili family had a business administrator who was a Christian. He handed Bakhita a crucifix and told her about Jesus. He convinced Signora Michieli to leave Bakhit and Alice with the Canossian Sisters at their Institute of Catechumens in Venice, Italy.

However, when the mother came back to Italy, she wanted Bakhita to return to their hotel to work. Bakhita refused because she did not want to compromise her new faith.  Cecchini, a cardinal patriarch, and high government officials had to stop her because they stated slavery no longer existed in Italy.

Bakhita was free to receive her sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation. The year was 1890, and she took the name Josephine. She joined the sisters’ novitiate, and professed her vows six years later. She would live on to be a religious sister for the next 50 years of her life. In response to all of this, she exclaimed “Mi, povera negra, povera negra!”—Me a poor black girl, me a poor black girl!

As a sister she was moved to the Canossian house at Schio, north of Padua. Having black skin was a rarity in that part of Italy so people were excited to see her. They called her Mother Moretta “Little Brown Mother.” 

Sister Josephine went on to tell stories of her life as a slave up to becoming a sister and people marveled over it! She eventually died of pneumonia on February 8, 1947.

Takeaway

Josephine eventually forgave her captors in her heart and although she never saw them again, she wished them well. I think we can all take away with us her message of forgiveness. We are not meant to be burdened with anger, frustration, grudges, wounds and hurt. Forgiveness frees us from these awful feelings. It allows us to move on. After so many years of hurt, Sister Josephine live a full life of joy. We can all learn from her.

Sources

Burns, Paul. Butler’s Lives of the Saints: New Concise Edition, Liturgical Press, 2003.