I bought the book on Our Lady of Good Success many years ago. Incredible miracle after incredible miracle, like stories out of the Bible. I hear things are bad in Ecuador at the moment. Prayers.
SAINT OF THE DAY TUESDAY, 3 FEBRUARY, 2026 SAINT BLAISE BISHOP AND MARTYR (316 AD) Little is known about Saint Blaise prior to his mention in a court physician's medical journal. The physician, Aëtius Amidenus, spoke of Saint Blaise's aid in treating objects caught in the throat. He was also mentioned in the book of Acts, where he was aided by animals and treated people and beasts alike. Saint Blaise is believed to begin as a healer then, eventually, became a "physician of souls." He then retired to a cave, where he remained in prayer. People often turned to Saint Blaise for healing miracles. In 316, the governor of Cappadocia and of Lesser Armenia, Agricola, arrested then-bishop Blaise for being a Christian. On their way to the jail, a woman set her only son, who was choking to death on a fish bone, at his feet. Blaise cured the child, and though Agricola was amazed, he could not get Blaise to renounce his faith. Therefore, Agricola beat Blaise with a stick and tore at his flesh with iron combs before beheading him. In another tale, Blaise was being led to the prison in Sebastea, and on the way came across a poor old woman whose pig had been stolen by a wolf. Blaise commanded the wolf return the pig, which it did - alive and uninjured - to the amazement of all. When he reached Sebastea, the woman came to him and brought two fine wax candles in an attempt to dispel the gloom of his darkened cell. In the Middle Ages, Blaise became quite popular and his legend as a beast tamer spread. He was then referred to as the "saint of the wild beast." Many German churches are dedicated to Saint Blaise, sometimes called Saint Blasius. In Great Britain, the village of St. Blazey got its name from Saint Blaise, and a church dedicated to the saint can be found in Decon hamlet of Haccombe, near Newton Abbot. There is a Saint Blaise's Well in Kent, and the water is believed to have medicinal properties. A Blessing of the Throats ceremony is held every February 3 at Saint Etheldreda's Church in London and Balve, Germany. A Catholic middle school was named after Saint Blaise in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The name was decided upon when the link between Bradford and the woolen industry was connected to the way St. Blaise was martyred: with woolcomb. Saint Blaise is often depicted holding two crossed candles in his hand, or in a cave with wild animals. He is also often shown with steel combs. The similarity of the steel combs and the wool combs made a large contribution to Saint Blaise's leadership as the patron saint of wool combers and the wool trade. It is customary in many places to bless the throats of the faithful with two candles tied together with a red ribbon to form a cross. The rite of the blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass. PATRON: Against wild beasts; animals; builders; carvers; construction workers; coughs; Dalmatia; Dubrovnik; goiters; healthy throats; stonecutters; throat diseases; veterinarians; whooping cough; wool-combers; wool weavers. SYMBOLS: 2 crossed candles; candle; hermit tending wild animals; iron comb; man healing a choking boy; man with two candles; wax; wool comb. PRAYER: Hear, O Lord, the supplications your people make under the patronage of the Martyr Saint Blaise, and grant that they may rejoice in peace in this present life, and find help for life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Yesterday at Mass one of the ladies gave me a little tray of chocolate donuts they make for the Feast of Saint Blaise. Drop dead gorgeous. The little kitten and the old dog loved them too. They blessed a load of huge beautiful candles and we held little candles lit until the Gospel. Sigh it was like a ladies social club with all the loud talking until the mass started and I just sat with my eyes closed. But I have not the heart to blame them all , they just don't know any better bless them. Invincible ignorance. But I do hope my total silence nudges them in the right direction. A big bright spot; the old priest was wearing a cassock for the very first time since I came here. Maybe a sign of hope? I suppose the ladies may think I am a nut for sitting quiet with my eyes closed all the time in Church but I am beyond caring.
SAINT OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY, 2026 SAINT JOHN DE BRITTO PRIEST AND MARTYR (1 March 1647 - 4 February 1693) John de Britto, was born in Lisbon on March 1, 1647 to a noble Portuguese family. His father died while serving as Viceroy of Brazil. Growing up, John was a playmate to the future King of Portugal, Pedro II. A terrible illness made him turn for aid to St. Francis Xavier, a Saint so well loved by the Portuguese; and when, in answer to his prayers, he recovered, his mother vested him for a year in the dress worn in those days by the Jesuit Fathers. On December 17, 1662, he entered the novitiate of the Society at Lisbon. Hand in hand with his studies, he felt the growing desire to work in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier. He had the courage to write twice, without the knowledge of his immediate superior, pleading insistently to grant him the grace to go to missions in India. He dedicated himself to the study of theology and received priestly ordination in early 1673. In 1673, in spite of the most determined opposition of his family and of the court, he left all to go to preach the faith in Madura, India. When John's mother knew that her son was going to India, she used all her influence to prevent him leaving his own country, and persuaded the Papal Nuncio to interfere. "God, who called me from the world into religious life, now calls me from Portugal to India," was the reply of the future martyr. "Not to answer the vocation as I ought, would be to provoke the justice of God. As long as I live, I shall never cease striving to gain a passage to India." After an adventurous journey, John arrived in Goa in 1673. Visiting the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, at the Jesuit church, he repeated his vow to work for the propagation of the Catholic Faith in the College of the Society of Jesus, where he completed his studies in theology. The Madurai Mission was a bold attempt to establish an Indian Catholic Church that was relatively free of European cultural domination. As such, Britto learned the native languages, went about dressed in yellow cotton, and lived like a monk, abstaining from every kind of animal food and from wine. St. John de Britto tried to teach the Catholic faith in categories and concepts that would make sense to the people he taught. This method, proposed and practiced by Roberto de Nobili, met with remarkable success. Britto remained a strict vegan until the end of his life, rejecting meat, fish, eggs and alcohol, and living only on legumes, fruits and herbs.In 1682, struck by his success and his sanctity, his Jesuit Superiors entrusted to him the government of the entire province. To the wars of the local kings, which created ravages, disorder, pillage and death for the people, famine, pestilence, and floods came to add to the devastation of the unhappy land. Both the days and the nights of Saint John were dedicated to bringing aid to the poor Christians and pagans afflicted by so many disasters. At times he took charge of the entire populations which the wars had caused to migrate. All the Christians were pursued by bands of robbers, paid by the ruling elements to prevent any increase in the influence of the Disciples of Christ. Saint John's miracles helped him, and God preserved him from the snares of his many enemies. John learned that in eighteen years no missionary had reached the kingdom of Maravá, east of Madura in India. He decided to take on the dangerous business, having sent some talented catechists. On May 5, 1686 he crossed the border; by July 17 of that year he had baptized more than two thousand Indians. He stayed awake throughout the night to hear confessions and baptize. Soon, however, the King of Maravá had his prime minister order the arrest of the missionary and his companions; no arrest was unrelated to the imprudence of a missionary of another religious order. Later, John endured, for about a month, a real cruel martyrdom, without the execution of his death sentence. Among other torments, he was scourged with a shield, slapped, loaded with chains. Then he was made to lie naked on a boulderof pumice stone, red-hot from the sun and fraught with acute tips, where they forced him to stay for more torment, while seven or eight people jump on his body. John spent twenty-two days in that prison before he managed to speak with the king, who seemed subdued by the truth. He was released in August 1686. His Superiors sent him back to Europe to concern himself with the affairs of the missions of India. They wrote of him: He has affronted every peril to save souls and extend the kingdom of Jesus Christ, for whose love he has been captured several times and condemned to frightful torments. He preached in Portugal at the court and in the various dioceses and universities, without ever forgetting that he was a missionary of India, for which he recruited many generous workers for the Gospel vineyard. He finally went back to the land of his choice in 1690 with twenty-five Jesuits, of whom several died during the voyage. The king of Portugal took every means to obtain his return to Portugal, if not as tutor to his son, which post he had declined, then as bishop of one of the Portuguese sees, but the Saint was occupied in baptizing thousands of catechumens and instructing the pagans whom grace had touched. MARTYRDOM John de Britto's preaching led to the conversion of Thadiyathevan, an Indian prince who had several wives. When Thadiyathevan was required to dismiss all his wives but one, a serious problem arose. One of the wives was a niece of the neighboring king Sethupathi who took up her quarrel and he began a general persecution of Christians in India. Britto and the catechists were captured and carried to the capital, Ramnad in India. There he was led to Oriyur, some thirty miles northward along the coast, where he was executed on 4 February 1693. John de Britto was beatified by Pius IX on August 21, 1853. He was canonized by Pius XII, June 22, 1947. PATRON: Portugal, Roman Catholic Diocese of Sivagangai, India. REFLECTION: My friend, I have done what I should do, I have prayed to God. Now do your part. Carry out the order you have received. – St John, to his executioner. PRAYER: Lord God, you sent out your martyrs to preach the Gospel by word and example. Grant a rich harvest of grace to those who are fearless in proclaiming the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who loves and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Yeah, it is customary in many places to bless the throats of the faithful with two candles tied together with a red ribbon to form a cross. The rite of the blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass & as far as I know every catholic parish does the blessings on St. Blaise's feastday which falls just before the Lent starts. The priest or deacon places the candles around the throat of whoever seeks the blessing, using the formula: "Through the intercession of St Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. † In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
These saints, these countless , countless Catholic saints, missionaries , why did they give up family, friends. country, everything to go to another country to convert other to the One, True Catholic and Apostolic Church? They did so because they had been taught that outside the Church there was no Salvation. That if they did not save the poor pagans by converting them their souls would be lost. The False Church, the Ape of the Church teaches that there is no Hell and that no matter what religion you belong to , or none you will still be saved. This is why the Missionary activity of the Church has ground to a halt. Why be a missionary and give up everything if the Catholic Faith no longer matters. Even the few missionaries left preach the Gospel of Karl Marx, Liberation Theology.
SAINT OF THE DAY THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY, 2026 SAINT AGATHA VIRGIN AND MARTYR (230 - 251) Agatha was born in the first part of the third century into a wealthy and noble Christian family in Catania, Sicily. She was a beautiful young virgin, and at the age of 15 Agatha expressed her desire to live a life consecrated to God. It is generally believed that when she was 21 she became a deaconess in the church, as she is often seen in paintings from as early as the 6th century, wearing a white tunic and red vail typical of the rank of deaconess during her time. Her duties would have included teaching young followers about the Christian faith, and to prepare them for Baptism and Holy Communion. In the years 250 to 253 AD, Roman Emperor Trajan Decius ordered the persecution of all Christians. The prefect of Catania at that time was a man named Quintianus. Legend says that Quintianus, upon seeing Agatha, fell madly in love with her. It is more likely, though, that his true desire was to gain control of her family's property and lands. When Agatha refused his advances he sent her to a brothel as punishment. She refused to accept customers and was sent back to Quintianus. After refusing Quintianus' advances time and again, Agatha was imprisoned, suffered repeated tortures, and then brutally had her breasts cut off. It is said that she responded to this horrible mutilation by saying to Quintianus, “Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?” She was returned to her cell without any medical attention to her wounds. It is believed that during the night Saint Peter appeared in her cell, and healed her wounds.Quintianus, now had a horrible hatred of Agatha, and ordered that she be burned on a bed of coals. While she lay burning on the coals her red veil stayed miraculously intact. An earthquake struck Catania during this last torture of Agatha, and Quintianus became fearful for his safety, he had her returned to prison and then he fled the city. Agatha died a few hours later on February 5, in the year 251. The people of Catania believe that the carrying of Santa Agatha's veil in procession, has saved the city from many eruptions of Mount Etna, earthquakes, the plague, and is also responsible for saving the people of Catania from the wrath of Emperor Fredrick II in 1231. Devotion to Saint Agatha remains strong, but not only in Catania, she has also become the patron and protector of all of Sicily. Her feast day is February 5th, the date of her death. PATRON: Bell-founders; breast cancer; breast disease; Catania, Italy; against fire; earthquakes; eruptions of Mount Etna; fire; fire prevention; jewelers; martyrs; natural disasters; nurses; Palermo, Italy; rape victims; single laywomen; sterility; torture victims; volcanic eruptions; wet-nurses; Zamarramala, Spain. SYMBOLS: Breasts on a dish; embers; knife; loaves of bread on a dish; pincers; shears; tongs; veil; virgin martyr wearing a veil and bearing her severed breasts on a silver platter. PRAYER: May the Virgin Martyr Saint Agatha implore your compassion for us, O Lord, we pray, for she found favor with you by the courage of her martyrdom and the merit of her chastity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.PRAYER OF HEALING FOR BREAST CANCER Dear Virgin and Martyr, whom the Church recalls in her liturgy, you heroically resisted the temptation of an evil ruler. Subjected to long and horrible tortures, you remained faithful to your heavenly spouse. Please intercede for (name), who suffers from cancer, that God will stretch forth His healing hand and restore her to complete health, according to His Divine Will. Help her know the Peace of Jesus and the certainty of His victory in her suffering, through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
I even love the name, Agatha', so beautiful and old World. Like maiden aunt. Aunt Agatha. I don;t suppose many baby girls get the name Agatha nowadays. What a pity. So beautiful a saint. How much more beautiful shining in Heaven with a martyrs Crown.
SAINTS OF THE DAY FRIDAY, 6 FEBRUARY, 2026 SAINT PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS MARTYRS OF JAPAN (1562 - 1597) Japan, like China, has proved hard to win over to the Gospel. St. Francis Xavier first planted Christianity there in 1549, and it is said that by 1587 there were over 200,000 converts. But in 1588 the military leader Hideyoshi, who was the actual ruler under the shadow-emperor, ordered all Christian missionaries to depart. Some obeyed, but many stayed on in secret. In 1597 Hideyoshi apprehended 26 Christians, religious and lay. He had the left ears of 24 of them partly cut off, and then paraded them to Nagasaki through the villages, so as to frighten the spectators against having any more dealings with Christianity. This group of “elect” included a cross section of Japanese Catholicism: four Spanish Franciscans; a Franciscan born in Bombay, and of Portuguese or possibly Indian background; and a native of Mexico (Friar Philip de las Casas, not yet ordained to the priesthood). There were three Japanese Jesuits, Father Paul Miki and two laybrothers. The remainder were Japanese: a soldier, a physician; two carpenters; three altarboys – teenagers; a cook, etc. All stood firm in their faith. When the “show-victims” had reached Nagasaki, they were allowed to make their confessions to two Jesuits. Then they were chained to wooden crosses on Nishizaka Hill with iron collars around their necks. The crosses were next lifted and placed in holes already dug. A soldier with a lance was stationed by each victim. At a given signal, each soldier plunged his spear into the heart of the assigned victim, and it was quickly over. Many Christians were among the bystanders, for the government's intention was not to destroy Christians but Christianity. These Catholics collected the blood and clothing of the martyrs as treasured relics, and soon ascribed miracles to them. Pope Pius IX canonized the 26 in 1862. Their feast day is February 6. The martyrdom of St. Paul Miki and the other 25 marked only a beginning of persecution. Eventually between 1622 and 1632, a great number received the martyr's crown: some beheaded, some burnt alive, some buried alive, some allowed to die in prison or in exile out of willful neglect. Again, they represented a wide swath of Japanese society. Many died, among them small children, simply because of the Japanese practice of killing off the whole family of any condemned person. Two hundred and five of the later martyrs were beatified by Pope Pius IX on May 7, 1867. The “Blessed Martyrs of Japan” are venerated on two feast days, June 1 and September 10. The heroic Japanese Catholics who have been declared saints or blesseds represent only a small percentage of the nation's martyrs. Historians debate the exact number of those Catholics who have suffered for the faith in Japan. At least 4000 certainly qualify as martyrs in the technical sense. Estimates of the rest are as high as 35,000, if not more. However, most of them remain nameless. Even those who were not executed often suffered by the thousands from robbery, exile, prison and torture. It was a terrible exemplification of man's cold inhumanity to man. “The blood of martyrs is a seed,” a prominent church writer declared during the Roman persecutions. The truth of this adage has often been verified in other nations, but not yet in Japan. However, to judge by the Catholic martyrs Japan has produced, the Japanese have the makings of extraordinary Christians. May our prayers water their harsh spiritual soil so as to produce, at length, an abundant harvest of souls. REFLECTION: Stop for a moment today to pray for Christians who are persecuted throughout the world. Let us pray in thanksgiving for the witness of the Martyrs of Japan and let us pray for those who, in our time, are dying for the faith. PATRON: Saints of Japan. PRAYER: O God, strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross were pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions to life, grant, we pray, that by their intercession we may hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
It seem the Catholic Church in Japan is booming at the moment with tons of young converts. A Sign of the Times?
SAINT OF THE DAY SATURDAY, 7 FEBRUARY, 2026 SAINT GONSALO GARCIA (INDIA) MARTYR (1556 - 5 February 1597) St. Gonsalo Garcia was the first canonized saint from India. Canonized on June 8, 1862 by Pope Pius IX. St. Gonsalo Garcia was born around 1556 in the fortified city of Bassein in the Portuguese quarter of India. His father was a Portuguese soldier and his mother was a native. As he grew up, Gonsalo stayed with the local Jesuits. While there, he became friends with Fr. Sebastian Gonsalves, who become Gonsalo's mentor. He studied Grammar, Philosophy and Roman History with the Jesuits. When he was 13, Gonsalo asked Fr. Sebastian for permission to join the missionaries to Japan. However, his request was denied because he was too young, and was approved two years later. Once the missionaries reached Japan, Gonsalo worked as a catechist. He would walk the streets drawing children to him with his kindness and a fluent understanding of Japanese. He worked for eight years in the Japanese missionary fields with the Jesuits. He tried to join the Jesuit order, but he was turned down because of his native origin. Losing hope, Gonsalo left the Jesuits. He moved to the Japanese city of lacao and started work as a merchant. His work flourished. Through his business transaction he came into contact with many high ranking members of Japanese society, even the Emperor. Even though he was successful in business, Gonsalo yearned to become a member of a religious order. Eventually, he was accepted by the Franciscans. He moved to Manila and worked as a catechist there. Once again, his fluency in Japanese came in handy. In 1593, he joined a Spanish delegation to Japan as a translator. After some initial problems, the Franciscans became quite successful in their missionary efforts. The local king, Taikosama, was friendly towards them, as well. At the same time the Jesuits were having trouble making conversions. The success of the Franciscans angered the Buddhist priests. They tried to get the king to expel the Franciscans, but he refused. However, that was about to change. A Spanish treasure ship named the San Felipe was forced to land because of a storm. The captain erroneously told the local Japanese custom agent that the Franciscans had been sent by the Spanish king to influence the people to rebel against their ruler. This lie was taken advantage of by the enemies of the Franciscans. When Taikosama heard the story, he was enraged and ordered that all missionaries in Japan be arrested and executed. The Franciscans were arrested on December 8, 1596 and sentenced to death. The following February, twenty-six Christians were taken to a hill outside of Nagasaki and crucified.St. Garcia was the first to be extended on, and nailed to, the cross, which was then erected in the middle of those of his companions. Two lances piercing the body from one side to the other and passing through the heart, whilst the saint was singing the praises of God during the infliction of the torture, put an end to his sufferings and won for Garcia the martyr's crown. Upon seeing this, the Christians in the crowd broke through the guards and used pieces of cloth to soak up the blood of these holy martyrs. They were forced back by the guards, their blood mingling with that of the martyrs. At the end of the day, even some of the toughest soldiers had tears in their eyes. The bodies were left hanging for the vultures to eat, but after forty days they remained intact. PATRON: Archdiocese of Bombay and the Diocese of Vasai. PRAYER TO ST. GONSALO GARCIA: Heavenly Father, in order to spread the Good News to the far east, in Japan, you inspired St. Gonsalo Garciato to imitate your Son and embrace the Cross. The blood of his martyrdom sanctified the Japanese soil and established the Christian faith in Japan. As we venerate St. Gonsalo, India's first canonized Saint. We pray that we too may experience the same fire and zeal for your Gospel, which kindled in the heart of St. Gonsalo. Through the intercession of St. Gonsalo, we pray for special blessings, grace, and good health for the below... (mention the name/s of those you wish to pray for) Inspired by the life and sacrifice of St. Gonsalo, may more and more young people choose to work in your vineyard. May our lives of sacrifice and mutual love bear witness to the same faith that St. Gonsalo Garcia professed and died for. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... St. Gonsalo Garcia: Pray for us!
Another saint I had never heard of before! One thing I see in his life is how God can right straight in crooked lines. I am reading a little book on the lives of Orthodox saints at the moment. It is touching how many of them are also recognised by the Catholic Church as well. One big take away is how the Orthodox centres on Monasteries.
SAINT OF THE DAY SUNDAY, 8 FEBRUARY, 2026 SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA SLAVE TO SAINT (c.1869 - February 8, 1947) Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869, in a small village in the Darfur region of Sudan. She belonged to a close-knit family of eight living children, including a twin sister. She was kidnapped while working in the fields with her family and subsequently sold into slavery. Her captors asked for her name but she was too terrified to remember so they named her “Bakhita,” which means “fortunate” in Arabic. She spent a month in “a hole of a room, littered with tools and scraps,” weeping inconsolably for her family. She was tortured by her various owners who branded her, beat and cut her. In her biography she notes one particularly terrifying moment when one of her masters cut her 114 times and poured salt in her wounds to ensure that the scars remained. “I felt I was going to die any moment, especially when they rubbed me in with the salt,” Bakhita wrote. She bore her suffering valiantly though she did not know Christ or the redemptive nature of suffering. She also had a certain awe for the world and its creator. “Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him and to pay Him homage.” After being sold a total of five times, Bakhita was purchased by Callisto Legnani, the Italian consul in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Two years later, he took Bakhita to Italy to work as a nanny for his colleague, Augusto Michieli. He, in turn, sent Bakhita to accompany his daughter to a school in Venice run by the Canossian Sisters. Bakhita felt called to learn more about the Church, and was baptized with the name “Josephine Margaret.” It was January 9, 1890. She did not know how to express her joy that day. Her big and expressive eyes sparkled, revealing deep emotions. From then on, she was often seen kissing the baptismal font and saying: “Here, I became a daughter of God!” In the meantime, Michieli wanted to take Josephine and his daughter back to Sudan, but Josephine refused to return. The disagreement escalated and was taken to the Italian courts where it was ruled that Josephine could stay in Italy because she was a free woman. Slavery was not recognized in Italy and it had also been illegal in Sudan since before Josephine had been born. Josephine remained in Italy and decided to enter Canossians in 1893. She made her profession in 1896 and was sent to Northern Italy, where she dedicated her life to assisting her community and teaching others to love God. She was known for her smile, gentleness and holiness. She even went on record saying, “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.” For another 50 years, this humble Daughter of Charity, a true witness of the love of God, lived in the community in Schio, engaged in various services: cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to the door. When she was on duty at the door, she would gently lay her hands on the heads of the children who daily attended the Canossian schools and caress them. Her amiable voice, which had the inflection and rhythm of the music of her country, was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering and encouraging for those who knocked at the door of the Institute. During her agony, she re-lived the terrible days of her slavery and more then once she begged the nurse who assisted her: “Please, loosen the chains... they are heavy!” It was Mary Most Holy who freed her from all pain. Her last words were: “Our Lady! Our Lady!”, and her final smile testified to her encounter with the Mother of the Lord. She died on 8th February, 1947. St. Josephine was beatified in 1992 and canonized shortly after on October 2000 by Pope John Paul II. She is the first person to be canonized from Sudan and is the patron saint of the country. PATRON: Sudan. PRAYER: Loving God, rewarder of the humble, you blessed St. Josephine Bakhita with charity and patience. May her prayers help us, and her example inspire us to carry our cross and to love you always. Pour upon us the spirit of wisdom and love with which you filled St. Josephine Bakhita. By serving you as she did, may we please you by our faith and our actions. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I listened to this on YouTube and found it quite moving. It's mainly audio but the first couple of minutes are a look at a First Class Relic of St. Josephine which this man obtained. The remainder is him speaking about St. Josephine and the vital importance of forgiveness in bringing healing to our life and the lives of others.
