Day 7 : A Contemplative Activist | St. Josephine Bakhita

“I have given everything to my Master: He will take care of me… The best thing for us is not what we consider best, but what the Lord wants of us!” – St. Josephine Bakhita

Icon by Franciscan iconographer Robert Lentz, at All Saints Catholic Church in Houston

What is a contemplative activist?

As Christ-followers, mirroring His incarnational work in the world, we have been given a rich legacy in the lives of the saints and other heroes of the faith, those men and women who modeled for us the lives of contemplative activism. When answers are few and far between, we look to them who have drawn near to the poor in their distress, giving us an example to follow.

We define “contemplative activists” as those walking the Jesus rhythm. Jesus went up the mountain to be with His Father and pray and then returned to his life of service, engagement, and action, walking in the places of the world that needed mending. As Anglicans loving “the least of these,” we believe that our lives of prayer form the source of our work among the vulnerable. In turn, our closeness to suffering shapes our prayer lives and understanding of Christ as the Ultimate Healer and Savior.

Jen Norton Art Studio

Josephine Margaret Bakhita, the patron saint of Sudan and victim of human trafficking, suffered immense cruelty under slavery, yet is remembered now for her gentleness and hospitality. She was born to a respected Daju family in the Darfur region of Sudan in 1869.

At the age of 8, Josephine was kidnapped and enslaved by Arab traders. Over the course of two months, she was sold twice and forced to walk over 600 hundred miles to a slave market in southern Sudan. She changed hands so many times, she was unable to remember her given name. During her enslavement in Sudan, she was given the name Bakhita, which means “fortunate” in Arabic.

When Josephine was 14, the Turkish general sold her to an Italian consul, who brought her to Italy. Shortly after arriving in Italy, the consul gave her to a family to serve as a nanny to their daughter. While the parents were away on business, Josephine and their daughter stayed with the Canossian Sisters. During her time with the Sisters, Josephine learned about God and his ministry on Earth and was deeply moved. She said once that she always knew God existed, but just didn’t know who he was.

At age 21, she was baptized, confirmed, and given the name Josephine Margaret. When the parents came to retrieve their daughter, Josephine refused to leave the institute. After three days of back and forth, the mother superior of the Sisters petitioned the Italian authorities on Josephine’s behalf. They granted Josephine freedom on the basis that slavery had been outlawed in Darfur before her birth and Italy did not recognize slavery.

At 27, Josephine took the final vows to become a Canossian sister. For the next 50 years of her life, Josephine served as a doorkeeper and cook at a convent in Schio, Vicenza. She received everyone at the door with a warm smile and gentle spirit. During World War II, the people in her village regarded St. Josephine as their protector. Though Schio was bombed, not a single citizen died during the war.

Towards the end of her life, Josephine began using a wheelchair due to chronic pain. When asked how she was, St. Josephine Bakhita would respond, choosing very deliberate language speaking to the sovereignty of Christ who was also the tender Good Shepherd. Her response was: “As the Master desires." She knew her God as the suffering servant in whose love she rested and was made free.