From Catholic News Service:

The annual day, created with Pope Francis’ encouragement in 2015, is celebrated Feb. 8 — the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in Sudan and Italy. Once she was freed, she became a Canossian sister and dedicated her life to sharing her testament of deliverance from slavery and comforting the poor and suffering. She was declared a saint in 2000 and Pope Francis has called her “an exemplary witness of hope for the many victims of slavery” today.

