The war was terrible, but it couldn’t stamp out the joy that comes from God. In 1943, Sister Bakhita celebrated her fiftieth anniversary of religious life. She had lived fifty years of vowed consecration to God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It was a wonderful occasion and tense world events weren’t going to stop the celebration! The sisters decided that for this special day, the war would be ignored.
The chapel was decorated with beautifully arranged flowers. The whole town arrived at the convent in time for the ceremony. Sister Bakhita was led to her assigned place of honor near the altar. She knelt on a silk cushion. After the Mass, celebrated by the bishop, everyone congratulated their beloved Sister Moretta. Bakhita enjoyed everything and gave thanks to the Lord.
The sisters distributed a small picture as a souvenir of the day. The quotation on the back of the picture was a tribute to the goodness of God. It said that Sister Bakhita:
had been uprooted from the African desert
to be planted in Christian soil,
to become the free slave of him who
makes one’s burdens light
and one’s yoke sweet.
Everyone clung to their copies of the picture and thanked Sister Bakhita for the blessing that she was in their lives. She smiled and embraced her friends warmly, although she had to admit that she was a little confused by all the fuss. The Lord must have been hard at work that day, because the war had not interfered with the celebration even once.
Bakhita’s health was failing, despite the prayers of the sisters and the town. The superiors were concerned about her condition and sought medical help. For some time, the sister from Africa had been bothered by the numbing cold of the long Italian winters. They were very different from the baking sun of Sudan.
Sister Bakhita experienced pain in her joints and found it more and more difficult to breathe. It was as if the cold she had caught one day refused to leave her. A cough, too, accompanied her up and down the convent hallways. The doctor examined Sister Bakhita. He diagnosed arthritis, as well as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Modern medicines and treatments now used for these conditions were not available at that time.
Bakhita was offered home remedies that would provide at least temporary relief. She also began to use a cane, but soon it was not enough to keep her steady. The sisters provided her with a wheelchair, which made moving through the halls and rooms less painful. The only thing that Bakhita disapproved of was that someone had to push her. The heavy wheelchairs of those days could not be self-propelled.
The aging sister found that her busy, energy-filled days had come to an end. She felt drawn to the chapel where Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, waited. The sister who wheeled her in would leave Sister Bakhita in a choice location. She couldn’t have been happier. One particular day, a mixup occurred. Each of the sisters thought that someone else was taking care of transporting Bakhita to the next location. Suddenly, they realized that Sister Bakhita must still be in chapel—where she had been left for several hours. One of them ran to get her.
“I’ve been having a wonderful time with Jesus!”
“I’m so sorry,” the sister cried. “You’ve been here a long time. You must be tired!”
“Oh, no,” Sister Bakhita answered with a smile. “I’ve been having a wonderful time with Jesus!”
Over the weeks that followed, Sister Bakhita’s health continued to weaken. She experienced a violent attack of pleurisy. Doctor Bertoldi explained to her and the sisters that her condition was serious. Bakhita seemed not to be surprised. She asked to receive the sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and the Anointing of the Sick while she was still conscious. Although she was very ill, she managed to follow all the prayers. One of the sisters recorded a brief conversation with Bakhita that took place soon after.
“How are you?” the sister asked. She added, “Today is Saturday.”
“Oh, yes,” Bakhita replied promptly. “I am so happy. Our Lady... Our Lady!” And she smiled.
Those were Sister Bakhita’s last words. She died on February 8, 1947. Her open coffin remained in the chapel for three days. Bakhita’s funeral would be celebrated on the morning of February 11. Meanwhile, the people of Schio, her beloved family, came to pay their tribute. Children were not afraid of the deceased sister. Their mothers took Bakhita’s flexible hands and placed them on their children’s heads. It was one last blessing, one last gentle touch from their beloved Sister Moretta.
On the evening of February 10, the coffin was to be closed and sealed. The wool factory workers sent an urgent message to the convent: their shift would not end until 11:00 P.M. Could the coffin remain open later? Would Sister Moretta wait for them? Of course she would! The African sister who had been so gracious all her life would welcome the tired workers. They filed past her coffin that night with grateful, loving hearts.
In spite of the bitter cold, a large crowd came for the funeral. After the funeral Mass, Sister Bakhita was buried in the vault of the Gasparella family, friends of the Canossian Congregation. Today, her remains rest in a glass urn beneath the altar of her beloved Canossian convent in Schio.
Bakhita was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 17, 1992. The same pope canonized her on the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, October 1, 2000.
