Which Catholic saint became the first canonized saint from the African country of Sudan?

Saint Josephine Bakhita became the first canonized saint from the African country of Sudan.

Josephine Bakhita was born in Darfur around 1869 and was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. She experienced repeated forced transfers before arriving in Italy, where she encountered the Canossian Daughters of Charity. Italian law enabled her to claim freedom, and she was baptized in 1890.

Bakhita joined the Canossian order and spent much of her life serving as a religious sister in Italy. Her memoir and gentle public presence made her an important witness to the dignity of people who had endured enslavement.

Pope John Paul II canonized her on 1 October 2000. Her feast is celebrated on 8 February, which the Catholic Church also observes as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.