Kidnapped into slavery, this Sudanese woman became a saint and a symbol of freedom.

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born in Darfur, Josephine Bakhita endured years of brutal captivity and forced labor before finding refuge in Italy. Her journey from an enslaved child to a canonized Roman Catholic nun transformed her into a global patron saint, representing the resilience of the human spirit against the horrors of human trafficking.

Born around 1869 in the Daju village of Olgossa, Bakhita’s early life was defined by prosperity until she was abducted by slave traders in 1877. Over the next decade, she was sold multiple times, forced to walk hundreds of miles, and subjected to severe physical abuse. Her captors inflicted deep trauma, including a ritualized practice that left 114 permanent scars on her body, which she later described as a miracle of survival.

Her path to autonomy began in 1883 when she was purchased by the Italian consul in Khartoum, Callisto Legnani. Unlike her previous owners, Legnani treated her with humanity and eventually brought her to Italy. In 1888, she was placed in the care of the Canossian Sisters in Venice while her employers traveled. During this time, she was introduced to Christianity, finding a sense of belonging and spiritual purpose that she had felt intuitively since childhood.

When her former owners attempted to reclaim her, Bakhita refused to return to servitude. In a landmark 1889 court ruling, Italian authorities declared her free, citing that slavery was not recognized under Italian law and had been outlawed in Sudan prior to her birth. She was baptized in 1890 by Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, the future Pope Pius X, and took her final vows as a Canossian nun in 1896.

Bakhita spent the remainder of her life in Schio, Italy, serving as a humble convent porter known for her warmth and hospitality. Even during the hardships of World War II, she remained a source of comfort for the local community. Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000, she is venerated today as the patron saint of Sudan and victims of human trafficking.

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