St. Bakhita House marked a new chapter Aug. 29 as the Milwaukee ministry was welcomed as Thrive for Life’s fourth House of Studies and its first serving women.
Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey R. Haines blesses the Peace & Healing Garden at St. Bakhita House in Milwaukee during an Aug. 29 celebration welcoming the ministry into Thrive for Life. The garden, created as a place of prayer and reflection for survivors and formerly incarcerated women, includes a newly arrived statue of St. Josephine Bakhita. (Photo courtesy of Thrive for Life)
Thrive for Life’s House of Studies model provides supportive communities for people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. The addition of St. Bakhita House extends that model to women who have survived human trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as formerly incarcerated women.
The celebration began with Mass at St. Martin de Porres, located across the street from St. Bakhita House at 3138 N. Second St. in Milwaukee. Following Mass, guests gathered at St. Bakhita House for the blessing of the garden and a newly arrived statue of St. Josephine Bakhita, along with a tour of the house and time for food and fellowship.
Founded in 2022 by Anne Haines, St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House provides a home and community of support for women who have survived human trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as formerly incarcerated women. Inspired by St. Josephine Bakhita and the Catholic Worker tradition of Dorothy Day, the ministry centers on accompanying each woman as she rediscovers her dignity, identity and hope.
“We have been praying for this moment since before we launched,” Haines said. “Where a derelict house once stood is now a beautiful sanctuary for survivors and formerly incarcerated women.”
The garden incorporates ideas shared by the women of St. Bakhita House, along with the generosity of its supporters. The statue of St. Josephine Bakhita was dedicated to the women who will walk through the garden, entrusting them to her intercession.
This site of the building carries rich Catholic history, once housing the School Sisters of Notre Dame and later serving as a Capuchin residence.
The Aug. 29 celebration brought together supporters, ministry leaders and members of the Catholic community to give thanks for what St. Bakhita House has become and to look ahead to its continued mission of accompaniment. Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Haines, brother of Anne Haines, and Fr. Zachariah F. Presutti, SJ, founder of Thrive for Life, participated in the celebration.
Through its House of Studies model, Thrive for Life seeks to extend Catholic accompaniment beyond incarceration and create communities where people can move toward healing, dignity and a hope-filled future. The welcoming of St. Bakhita House expands that mission to women in a setting centered on community, prayer and restoration.
