Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Olgossa, Sudan. At the age of seven, she was kidnapped and sold into slavery, enduring years of abuse and hardship. In 1883, she was sold to the Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan, and later brought to Italy. There, she encountered the Canossian Sisters and embraced the Catholic faith, choosing the name "Josephine." She joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity in 1896, dedicating her life to service and prayer.

Josephine Bakhita passed away on February 8, 1947, in Schio, Italy. Her cause for canonization began in 1959, and she was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1978. She was beatified on May 17, 1992, and canonized on October 1, 2000, by Pope John Paul II. Her feast day is celebrated on February 8.

Pope John Paul II, during her canonization, remarked, "Rejoice, all of Africa! Bakhita has come back to you. The daughter of Sudan sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise and yet still free. Free with the freedom of the saints."