By James Innocent
The Catholic Diocese of Yei has marked the 50th anniversary of devotion to St. Josephine Bakhita, with church leaders calling on the faithful to deepen their commitment to faith, forgiveness, and moral integrity.
Speaking during the celebration at St. Bakhita Chapel, the Parish Priest and Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Yei, Rev. Fr. Joseph Arike, noted that while the diocese was established in 1968 and has existed for 48 years, devotion to St. Bakhita has remained a strong spiritual foundation for the local Christian community.
Fr. Arike urged the faithful revealing that they should place God as a central priority in their lives, drawing inspiration from the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, who endured years of slavery before embracing Christianity and later becoming a religious sister.
“St. Bakhita teaches us that suffering does not have the final word,” Fr. Arike said. “Despite being sold into slavery and treated without dignity, she chose forgiveness over hatred and faith over despair.”
St. Josephine Bakhita, born in Sudan in the late 19th century, was abducted as a child and sold multiple times into slavery. After gaining her freedom in Italy, she converted to Christianity and joined the Canossian Sisters.
Reflecting on her experience, she once said, “If I were to meet the slave traders who kidnapped me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian today.”
Fr. Arike also raised concern over declining moral values in society, particularly the lack of respect for virtues such as chastity and fidelity, warning that this has contributed to broken families and social instability.
“Many marriages collapse because of misunderstanding and lack of forgiveness,” he said, urging couples to learn from St. Bakhita’s spirit of reconciliation and patience.
In a related message, the priest encouraged the people of Yei to take prayer seriously as a means of strengthening community faith and discouraging acts of violence, theft, and other crimes that undermine social harmony.
He further called on members of St. Bakhita Chapel to continuously emulate the saint’s example of humility, obedience, and trust in God.
Meanwhile, Rev. Sr. Benny of the Catholic Diocese of Yei praised the Catholic Action group of St. Bakhita Chapel for their continued cooperation with the Church in spreading the Word of God and supporting parish activities.
The celebration concluded with the ordination of more than 73 women into the Catholic Action Women’s Group, a social and spiritual movement dedicated to supporting the Church and promoting Christian values within the community.