Josephine Bakhita was born near Jebel Agilere in the Sud Darfur (Sudan). Kidnapped when still very young, she experienced the cruelty of slavery as she was sold several times in slave markets of Africa. Finally she was rescued by an Italian family and brought to Italy where she not only became a Christian but also felt the call to consecrate her life to God as a sister. She joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity and lived the rest of her life at Schio, a small village near Vicenza. She died on 8 February, 1947. (from the Universalis website)

Biography of St. Josephine from the Vatican website.

Radio Vatican: St. Josephine Bakhita: The life of a modern-day African Saint

Pope Benedict XVI’s Encyclical Spe Salvi in paragraph 3 contains a brief biography.

See more about St. Josephine’s religious order at the Fondazione Canossiana website. Part of the website is devoted to St. Josephine.

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day for February 8: St. Josephine Bakhita

Catholic Online’s biography of St. Josephine Bakhita

February 8, Feast of St Bakhita, is now World Day Day of Prayer, Reflection and Action Against Trafficking in Persons.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) and Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) support His Holiness Pope Francis in declaring Sunday 8 February 2015, the Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, as World Day of prayer, reflection and action against human trafficking.

Society of the Sacred Heart Australia/New Zealand Day of Prayer, Reflection & Action Against Trafficking

Archdiocese of Vancouver International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto have a web page devoted to St. Josephine Bakhita. It includes this prayer:

In honour of Sr. Josephine Bakhita, we invite you to pray with us today: 

O God, you always hear the cry of your people

and have compassion for the oppressed and the enslaved.

May they experience the liberation of the cross

and the resurrection of Jesus. 

We pray to you for those suffering

the torment of human trafficking.

Transform us by the power of your Spirit,

to be sensitive to the pain of these, our sisters and brothers.

Committed to overcoming this evil, 

give us the courage to stand up and work for the rights 

of our sisters and brothers

who live in slavery and exploitation.

We ask this with the intercession of St. Josephine

in Christ our Lord.  AMEN!

— Prayer by Peter McKenna, SCJ