St Josephine’ Bakhita's feast day is 8 February and she is very special to the Cenacle because as well as being the patron saint of the Sudan, she is the saint you pray to to end Human Trafficking (and engender courage in those fighting to end Human Trafficking). Josephine herself was kidnapped by slave traders and bought and sold at least twice. Her story is hard but full of hope and courage and well worth looking up. In the end, she became a sister of the Canossian Daughters of Charity.
On the evening of 8 February 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" and then died. She was canonised on 1 October 2000.
We have been praying this wonderful reflection by the Sisters of St Joseph each day since National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on 11 January. We’d be happy to pray it though for the rest of the year though and you may too! So here it is:
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