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Sister Josephine Bakhita
Josephine Bakhita is also known as Sister Moretta; Madre
Moretta; Giuseppina Bakhita. Her Memorial is 8 February.
Born to a wealthy Sudanese family, she was kidnapped by slave-traders
at age 9, and given the name Bakhita by them. Sold and resold
in the markets at El Obeid and Khartoum, finally purchased in
1883 by Callisto Legnani, Italian consul who planned to free
her.
She accompanied Legnani to Italy in 1885, and worked for the
family of Augusto Michieli as nanny. She was treated well in
Italy, and grew to love the country. An adult convert, joining
the Church on 9 January 1890, she took the name of Josephine
as a symbol of her new life. |
