St. Josephine Bakhita, February 8
Kidnapped as a child in Sudan and sold several times as a slave, Bakhita was brought to Italy, where she was baptized and won her freedom in court in 1889. She became a Canossian sister and served as a doorkeeper for decades. She is the patron of Sudan and of victims of human trafficking.
On the General Roman Calendar, February 8 is an optional memorial: Saint Josephine Bakhita, virgin.
Other saints on February 8
- St. Jerome Emiliani, founder of the Somascans (1537)
Name days on February 8
In countries that keep name days, February 8 is the day for people named Bakhita.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Bakhita | February 8 |
February 8 on the calendar
February 8 is the 39th day of the year, with 326 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday |
| 2027 | Monday |
| 2028 | Tuesday |
| 2029 | Thursday |
| 2030 | Friday |
Keeping February 8
February 8 falls in winter. As an optional memorial, each parish or priest may choose whether to celebrate it. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Bakhita, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around February 8
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| February 5 | St. Agatha |
| February 6 | St. Paul Miki and Companions |
| February 7 | St. Richard the Pilgrim |
| February 9 | St. Apollonia |
| February 10 | St. Scholastica |
| February 11 | Our Lady of Lourdes |
The day before, February 7, is the day of St. Richard the Pilgrim. The day after, February 9, belongs to St. Apollonia. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.