Fortunata Bakhita Quascè The Power of Freedom and Faith Against Slavery

Maria Milvia Morciano, of the Vatican City, said of her, "She is a woman who utterly merits to be rediscover[ed]. Her life was almost like a novel in that it was not only extraordinary but also adventurous.

This is how journalist and author Maria Tatsos describes the life of Fortunata Bakhita Quascè, the first African Comboni nun who lived in the 19th century, in a book titled Fortunata Bakhita Quascè - A free woman against slavery, which was presented in the Sala Marconi of palazzo pio alongside the February issue of Donna Chiesa Mondo, which was devoted to female missionaries. The first pious mother of Sudanese Africa was Fortunata Bakhita, a yet-to-be-rediscovered historical figure.

An extraordinary life, both from a human and spiritual perspective, but a person who for a very long time remained unnoticed, was essentially unknown, and was even mistaken for Giuseppina Bakhita, the most well-known religious blessed in Sudan. The book was written by Maria Tatsos, a writer who has always been sensitive to issues relating to women, and it was published in conjunction with the Institute of the Missionary Sisters Pie Madri della Nigrizia.

[Read Also] Fortunata was a young woman who was kidnapped by slave traders as a child, freed by a priest, and taken to Italy where she had the opportunity to study—a very uncommon opportunity at the time for a young girl. Fortunata was born around 1845 in the Nuba Mountains, in what is now South Sudan, and she passed away young in 1899. She had the opportunity to study in Verona as early as 1853, whereas even the Italians only began attending school in that country in 1877.

As a woman aware that she makes a "very precise choice that lasts for life," according to the book's author, she becomes a nun at an already quite advanced age of around 35. She was a free woman who was capable of autonomy as a person and as a thinker. In this way, she was an incredibly modern figure who could speak to us in our own time. This is evident in all the episodes in which she was the victim and protagonist at the same time.

Maria Tatsos, a free woman of faith, explains that the decision was made to give the book a historical novel-style slant in order to make her story more accessible to readers in general. [Audio Embed Listen to the interview with Maria Tatsos]. Apart from a few characters, nothing in the story is made up; everything in the book about Fortunata corresponds exactly to both her personal story and the stories of those who lived in her time period and with her. This is because we paid close attention to give adherence to what are the actual historical facts.

She had a strong sense of independence in her thought, which was a result of her deep faith. She was fundamentally a free woman. It was not a choice made at random to become a missionary.

In her conclusion, she writes: "She is a person who, if you'll pardon the expression, I would almost define as female empowerment, a model of woman who teaches us how faith and knowledge give freedom, how they can help improve society, and how they can create a new world. The message that Fortunata delivers is very current and relevant to both religious and nonreligious people.

[Audio Embed Hear the conversation with Sr. [Gabriella Bottani] Overcoming boundaries The theme of the upcoming issue of Donne Chiesa Mondo is the spirit of the female missionary.

She will trace centuries of history, but more importantly, she will consider the factors that influenced so many women to make this decision and the significance of serving as a missionary in the modern world. Gabriella Bottani, a Comboni missionary and a former international coordinator for Talitha Kum, says: "For me, being a missionary is letting myself be embraced by the love of God and letting this love that embraces me lead me to overcome the boundaries, lead me to overcome the divisions that we build and that our society, sometimes with injustice.

In order to do so, we must first and foremost be embraced by the love of God in Christ. This calls for us to transcend cultural barriers. Fortunata Bakhita Quascè, a pioneer and heroine, represents female dignity in Christ Fortunata Bakhita Quascè in a way that history hasn't been able to match.

She leaves a lasting impression on those who come into contact with her, as Sister Bottani relates: "I Fortunata, met her in 2005-2006, when the first historical research of Sr. I first came across situations involving women, children, and victims of abuse when Maria Vidale was first published.

Fortunata Quascè, who was with me, made it clear to me that she had a special way of speaking to people who had experienced violence. A South Sudanese woman who had been a slave and had received the best education a woman could receive in 1800 decides to join the plan and, as a result, travels back to Africa to help educate girls who have been freed from slavery after meeting Daniele Comboni.

She is a courageous woman who has internalized freedom and is no longer involved in relationships characterized by subordination. She's a woman who has come to appreciate the worth of her dignity in Christ.

This is how journalist and author Maria Tatsos describes the life of Fortunata Bakhita Quascè, the first African Comboni nun who lived in the 19th century, in a book titled Fortunata Bakhita Quascè - A free woman against slavery, which was presented in the Sala Marconi of Palazzo Pio alongside the February issue of Donna Chiesa Mondo, which was devoted to female missionaries.