Saint Bakhita of Sudan
CUT, COLLECT, AND TRADE WITH FRIENDS! Wi t h t radi ng c a rd s!
St. Bakhita
Sadik
Mr. Checchini
Mimmina
www.JClubCatholic.com
$2.95
SBakhitaCCS-cov.indd 2-3
5/20/09 3:01:00 PM
Saint Bakhita of Sudan
Written and illustrated by Virginia Helen Richards, FSP and D. Thomas Halpin, FSP
Boston
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 1
5/20/09 5:44:19 PM
Bakhita’s family lived in the village of Olgossa …
The place? Darfur, in the Sudan in Africa. The year? 1869… YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, MY DAUGHTER!
COME, BABY. LET’S CHECK THE FIELDS.
OKAY,
Later, screams echo from the village…
IC
A
R AF
OH NO! OH NO!
Afterward, back in the village…
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 2
HELP! HELP! WHAT IS IT, MAMA?
THEY took her! Our daughter! And OTHERS, TOO. THOSE SLAVE TRADERS HAVE GOT TO BE STOPPED!
5/20/09 5:44:25 PM
Y. CK S.
S A?
But the raids continued. Two years later, the village was still on the alert. One day, Bakhita and a friend went berry-picking… IT’S BORING IN THE VILLAGE. LET’S GO FIND FRUIT.
HERE, TRY THESE.
OKAY! I LIKE THE SWEET BERRIES.
Suddenly two men appear.
MY DEAR, I LEFT MY BAG BACK THERE. WILL YOU PLEASE GET IT FOR ME?
Something’s not right. I’LL GO, SIR.
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 3
5/20/09 5:44:29 PM
BUT THERE’S NOTHING HERE…
MAKE A
HEY, KID! WHAT’S YOUR NAME? CAN’T YOU TALK?
YOU’RE OUR CAPTIVE! NOW START WALKING!
Later…
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 4
5/20/09 5:44:34 PM
LET’S CALL HER BAKHITA!
YEAH! THE “LUCKY ONE”!
Left in a hut with no escape … Later, other people were captured, too. Sadik, a girl about Bakhita’s age, became her best friend. But then… I’LL SELL THEM
BOTH
TO YOU FOR THE RIGHT PRICE!
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 5
The two girls worked hard every day. Then one day—a lucky break.
WORK! DO IT, OR ELSE!
HE FORGOT TO CHAIN US THIS TIME.
5/20/09 5:44:38 PM
It was the chance of a lifetime!
They ran all day.
By nighttime …
DID YOU HEAR THAT?
A!
HO
W
SADIK! DON’T
STOP!
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 6
5/20/09 5:44:44 PM
WHERE’D HE GO, SADIK? WHO CARES, BAKHITA?
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 7
LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!
5/20/09 5:44:48 PM
But the girls were again captured—and sold to a wealthy Arab chief to be servants to his daughters.
MAKE SURE TO FASTEN IT TIGHTLY, BAKHITA.
I WANT MY HAIR JUST RIGHT, SADIK.
a This was or ime f terrible t was She Bakhita. y by the adl treated b , she ter family. La toum with har K o t t n e w her t o d n a l a r the gene ly to find , on servants s to be sold wa that she ! e once mor
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 8
And then the girls were sold yet again. This time, a Turkish general bought them to serve his mother and his wife. ME? YOUR ARE YOU OKAY, SADIK?
BUNDLE IS HEAVIEr, BAKHITA.
BAKHITA, THERE’S A WAR ON! I’M SELLING YOU TO A FOREIGNER, AN ITALIAN OFFICIAL. OH SIR, NOT AGAIN! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY!
5/20/09 5:44:54 PM
MR. LEGNANI WILL BE GOOD TO YOU.
BAKHITA, YOU WILL BE SERVING MY FAMILY.
But I’ll Still be a slave...
R S
FAMILY? I USED TO HAVE A FAMILY. I HARDLY REMEMBER THAT...
A.
Mr. Legnani was the Italian vice consul. Life really did become better for Bakhita for two years ...
I’M GOING BACK TO ITALY, BUT I CAN’T TAKE YOU ALL WITH ME.
Then ...
Poor Bakhita!
BakhitaCCS-in.indd 9
5/20/09 5:44:57 PM