To celebrate the feast of its patron saint on 8th February, Caritas Bakhita House is pleased to have welcomed the touring icon of Our Lady of Kensal Green, created by Kent-based iconographer Amanda de Pulford.
Also known as Our Lady of the Windrush, the icon was commissioned by Revd David Ackerman for the Anglican parish of St John’s in Kensal Green, and includes a depiction of St Josephine Bakhita on the right-hand panel.
Patron saint of victims of Human Trafficking, St Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869, and was kidnapped and enslaved when just a child.
In 1882, she was bought by an Italian family, and was later sent to live with a religious community in Venice.
It was while in Italy that St Josephine began to experience a deeper sense of God’s love, and after being received into the Catholic Church in 1890, she took final vows as a religious sister in 1896.
She spent the rest of her life in humble service of the needy and of her sisters, and was canonised in 2000 by Pope St John Paul II.
The arrival of the icon is an important moment for Caritas Bakhita House, which is celebrating both its patronal feast and its tenth anniversary later this year. To mark the occasion, the centre has also released its End-of-Year Report for 2024.
‘St Josephine Bakhita has a special significance for our staff and guests,’ said Karen Anstiss, Head of Caritas Bakhita House. ‘She is a source of hope to our women, and an inspiration to those who support our guests with her same spirit of service.’
St Josephine is a powerful witness to the fact that exploitation does not have the last word; despite carrying 144 scars on her body from physical abuse while enslaved, her hope and joy were noticed by all around her.
The icon has already visited both Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, and will remain at the safe house until 17th February as a further ‘Sign of Hope’ to guests and staff during this Jubilee Year.
Caritas Bakhita House is a safe house for survivors of modern slavery, exploitation and human trafficking. Since opening in 2015, the centre has provided accommodation to 205 women and 16 babies from almost 50 different countries. Alongside tailored therapeutic and trauma-informed care, the centre also assists women with bringing perpetrators to justice, and has helped to secure a total of 223 years of prison sentences.
Read the 2024 End-of-Year Report
Download the Santa Marta Group resources for St Josephine Bakhita’s feast day:
