The prayers of Bakhita, the hope and help of a book

(Photo/ Voyage Comics and Publishing)

By Elizabeth Scalia | OSV News

When she was canonized by Pope St. John Paul in 2000, Josephine Bakhita immediately became the patron saint of survivors of human trafficking.

Even a quick read of her story more than explains why. Kidnapped from the Sudanese village where her father was a chieftain and ironically renamed “Bakhita” (Arabic for the “lucky” or “fortunate” one) by her captors, Josephine endured such sustained trauma that she forgot her own name. 

She was bought and sold five times, the last being to an Italian vice consul, Callisto Legnani, who apparently treated Josphine humanely enough that when he was required to return to Italy she begged to be taken, too. 

Graphic novel style, Catholic topics

(Photo provided)

By Amanda Hudson | The Observer

Kevin and Mary O’Neill are lifelong Catholics and parents of nine children. Kevin was part of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin, while Mary grew up at Holy Family Parish in Rockford. They met through her brother when he was youth minister at St. Margaret Mary Parish.

Nowadays, they live in Harvard and attend St. Peter Church in Volo, which is staffed by the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius.

The couple has written two longer books, which Kevin calls a “labor of love” for his children. The O’Neills chose a graphic novel style for their books using photos of settings they designed and built out of Legos®, adding in dialogue balloons, all of which provides a comic book look for serious, faith filled topics. “We illustrate our graphic-novels by building, designing, and photographing intricate sets — built with your child’s favorite building block toys,” they say.

Book presents Advent in past, present and future

(Photos provided)

By Megan Peterson | The Observer

Mike Pacer, a member of Holy Cross Parish in Batavia, knows a little something about looking for different perspectives. The father of four, including diocesan priest Father Nathan Pacer, spent 14 years as a successful trial lawyer in Chicago — and then left.

He had heard a call from God to “just leave.”

So he and his wife Lori stepped out in trust to look at life through God’s lens and led their family in faith and service to the Church. As they taught their children, they saw a need for instilling faith-filled traditions like those their parents had taught them during Advent.