In 1902 she was sent to Venice. In that city she worked cleaning, cooking and caring for the poor. Without doing something “extraordinary” – such as a portent or miracle – Bakhita earned the fame of a saint. Always modest and humble, she maintained a firm faith, making her daily life something extraordinary, a beautiful offering to God.
universal sister
Because of her spirituality, closeness and strength in the face of adversity, Saint John Paul II called her “universal sister” (Homily of the Beatification, May 17, 1992). Bakhita died on February 8, 1947 in Schio, northern Italy, gathering thousands of people during her funeral.
In 1978 she was declared “Venerable”, and Saint John Paul II beatified her on May 17, 1992, decreeing that her feast day be celebrated every February 8. During the homily at the beatification ceremony, the Pontiff stated: “In our time, in which the unbridled race for power, money and enjoyment causes so much distrust, violence and loneliness, the Lord gives us Sister Bakhita as universal sister, so that she may reveal to us the secret of the truest happiness: the Beatitudes.”