Born in Sudan around 1869, Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. Through unimaginable suffering, she discovered faith in Christ and eventually gained her freedom in Italy. There she joined the Canossian Sisters and became a radiant witness to God’s mercy.
St. Josephine’s life shows that even the deepest wounds can become instruments of grace. She forgave her captors, saying, “If I were to meet them, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for through their wrongdoing I came to know Jesus.” Her forgiveness was her greatest mission — showing that love is stronger than hatred.
In February, the month often associated with love, we are invited to love as she did — courageously, mercifully, without limits. Her story teaches that no past is beyond redemption when touched by the light of Christ.