Feast Day – February 8

St. Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and enslaved as a child. Eventually she was sold to an Italian diplomat and taken to Italy, where she was later brought to freedom through the help of the Canossian Daughters of Charity. Through their guidance, she learned about God and served him faithfully until her death in 1947.
 

Today, the feast day for St. Josephine Bakhita— February 8—is recognized as the annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. Through prayer, we not only reflect on the experiences of those that have suffered through this affront to human dignity but also comfort, strengthen, and help empower survivors.

As Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, former Chairman of the Committee on Migration, has stated: “On that day, we will lift our voices loudly in prayer, hope, and love for trafficking victims and survivors. If just one person realizes from this day that they or someone they know is being trafficked, we will have made a difference.”
Copyright © 2021, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved. Quotes from St. John Paul II, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City State. Used with permission. All rights reserved.