Simple Ways to Celebrate the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita

January 30, 2024

The Feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita is on February 8th. She was born circa 1869 in Olgossa, Sultanate of Darfur (present-day Sudan). She was canonized a saint in 2000.

She is the patron saint of: Sudan, human-trafficking survivors

The first Black woman declared a saint in the modern era, St. Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan, was kidnapped at age seven, and enslaved, and eventually ended up in Italy. It was in Italy that she discovered the Catholic faith, fought for her freedom by winning a legal battle, and became a religious sister.

To celebrate her today:

1. Stargaze

Seeing the sun, the moon, and the stars, I said to myself, who could be the Master of these beautiful things? And I felt a great desire to see him, to know him, and to pay him homage.

—St. Josephine Bakhita

If it’s a clear night, bundle up and go outside to gaze at the stars. Contemplate the vastness of God. If you can’t see stars well from your neighborhood, it could be fun to pack the car and drive out to a more remote area to really be in wonder.

2. Donate to an Organization That Aids Victims of Human Trafficking

St. Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of victims of human trafficking. Research the horrors of human trafficking that exist today, and make a donation to an organization that helps those who have been trafficked.

3. Find Freedom in Your Life

Find a cozy spot to sit in prayer. Invite God to enlighten you to the areas of your life in which you are not free. What enslaves you? Your phone? An addiction? Resentment? A relationship? Be totally honest with yourself and ask God to free you.with God.

Journal about ways that you can find freedom and research resources to help you. Ask St. Josephine to pray for you.