Please pray in solidarity with us for the nine days leading up to the Feast Day of St. Bakhita on February 8th. We pray for your intentions and for the intention of Survivors of sexual exploitaion.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to be forgiving to others as she was.
St. Josephine Bakhita, you were a slave and you didn’t have any rights. Intercede for victims of human trafficking and those suffering silently in any kind of slavery. May their captors free them and may this evil be erased from the face of the Earth.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary…
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to be forgiving to others as she was.
St. Josephine Bakhita, you were kidnapped from your family at seven years old. Pray for children who have been kidnapped and for their families who suffer greatly from worry and sorrow. May they be reunited and comforted by the Lord.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary…
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to be forgiving to others as she was.
St. Josephine Bakhita, you were traded and sold many times in your life. One of your captors tortured you by tattooing you all over your body by cutting your skin over one hundred times. You were immobile from the pain and almost bled to death. Pray for victims of torture. Help them to be resilient and heal their bodies and souls. May people stop this brutal practice.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary...
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to put God’s will above all things as she did.
St. Josephine Bakhita, when the family that introduced you to Christianity decided to move away from the Canossian sisters, you had the courage to refuse and fight for your freedom. Although you were grateful to the family, you knew that God’s will was for you to join the sisters.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary…
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to have your love of beauty.
St. Josephine Bakhita, in spite of the great trials and suffering, you even saw that there was goodness in this as you once said, “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands; for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today.”
Help us to see the beauty in our lives, even in times of trial. St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions. (State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary...
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to be grateful for our Christian faith to others as she was.
St. Josephine Bakhita, you were always thankful to God and for your Christian faith. You were so thankful that you were known to kiss the baptismal font in thanksgiving for your baptism and new life in Christ.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary...
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to know the comfort of the Blessed Virgin Mary as she did.
St. Josephine Bakhita, you focused on Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the time of your death. Your last words were, “Our Lady, Our Lady” as you departed for heaven.
Help us to know the comfort of Our Lady at all times. St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions. (State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary...
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help me to be joyful to others as she was.
St. Josephine Bakhita, you were known to always be smiling and sweet to anyone who came to you for help.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary...
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St. Josephine Bakhita Novena – Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you gave us the great example of St. Josephine Bakhita and blessed her with an open heart full of charity. Help us to know that God has never abandoned us, as she knew so well.
St. Josephine Bakhita, as you were dying and in much pain, you relived the pain of your slavery, asking the nurses to loosen your chains. Pray for everyone who is chained down by pain and sin.
St. Josephine Bakhita, please pray for us and ask God to grant these our intentions:
(State your intentions here…)
Holy St. Josephine Bakhita, you lived an extraordinary life of pain, suffering and slavery, but you did not allow your trials to define your life. You chose to have an open and joyful heart and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. Intercede for us so that Christ may live joyfully in our hearts as he lived in yours. May your intercession continue to transform the faith of people forever.
Hail Mary…
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST. BAKHITA! GOD BLESS YOU FOR PRAYING THIS NOVENA WITH US ON BEHALF OF SURVIVORS!!
RESOURCE LIST: ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA compiled by Sr. Vicki Chambers, SSND
ST. JOSEPHINE MARGARET BAKHITA, FDCC (C.1869-FEBRUARY 8, 1947)
*SUDANESE RELIGIOUS SISTER
*RELIGIOUS CONGREGATION:
Canossian Daughters of Charity International (Headquarters: www.canossiansisters.org/ihq)
WEBSITE REFERENCES TO ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA:
VATICAN
https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_giuseppina-bakhita_en.html
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
https://www.crs.org>stories>st-josephine-bakhita-her-light-still-shines-brightly
LOYOLA PRESS
https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/saints-stories-for-all-ages/saint-josephine-bakhita/
NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS
https://www.nbccongress.org
Section: Black & African Saints/Martyrs-St. Josephine Bakhita
RCL BENZIGER
https://www.saintsresource.com/josephine-bakhita
SAINT OF THE DAY
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/Saint-Josephine-Bakhita
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
https://www.faith.nd.edu
Section: St. Josephine Bakhita-Faith ND
HOLY CARDS
https://www.printeryhouse.org/
Product: St. Josephine Bakhita Icon Holy Card
Part Number: PCA525
Note: Package of 25 Icon Holy Cards-$5.99
SELECTED BOOKS ABOUT THE LIFE OF ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA
St. Bakhita: From African Slave to Servant of the Good Master (Children’s) by Ann M. Brown
New Hope Publishers, 2000
Paperback ($6.54), 40 pages
Saint Bakhita of Sudan: Forever Free by Susan Wallace, FSP
Pauline Books & Media, 2006
Paperback ($8.95), 104 pages
Bakhita: From Slave to Saint by Roberto Italo Zanini
Ignatius Press, 2013
Paperback (18.95) 210 pages
QUOTES BY ST. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA
• Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know him. What a great grace it is to know God!
• I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me-I am awaited by this love. And so my life is good.
• 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!
• If we had no hope in the Lord, what would we do in this world?
• In God’s will there is great peace.
• It is an act of justice for the rich to help the poor.
• The Lord has loved me so much; we must love everyone. . . we must be compassionate!
