St. Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan and at 7 years old she was kidnapped, enslaved, sold, tortured and humiliated. Her owner moved her to Italy where she worked as a babysitter and she accompanied the family to Venice’s Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While there, she felt drawn to the Catholic Church and was baptized and confirmed. With the help of the Canossian Sisters and the patriarch of Venice, Josephine gained her freedom from slavery. Josephine joined the Canossian sisters and became a nun. She assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery, and welcoming visitors. St. Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan, slavery and victims of human trafficking. Her feast day is February 8th.