Coming Monday, “The Saints: Adventures of Faith and Courage” returns with new immersive stories of incredible saints! This season begins with the story of Josephine Bakhita, also known as Sister Josephine Margaret Bakhita, FDCC (the Canossian sisters).

Born sometime around 1869, Josephine came from a well-connected and respected family in what is now known as Sudan. When she was still a child, she was abducted by slave traders and was freed when the property she lived on was sold to the Canossian sisters in the early 1890s. Not long after, she converted to Catholicism, became a sister, and became a beloved member of her community, both in the convent and the surrounding Italian cities.

“Bakhita” is believed to be a name given to the little girl by her captors, meaning “lucky” or “fortunate” in Arabic. But her name was kept throughout her life, her story’s publication in the 1930s, and her canonization 2000.

Josephine Bakhita was the first black woman to be declared a saint in the modern millennium. Hear more about her story this coming Monday with five new episodes of her profound story by signing up at thesaintspodcast.com.