It is not a shelter, and it does not distribute food or clothing. Casa Bakhita is a place for training and support in the heart of Paris.
Since it opened in 2021, 2,500 people from 84 nationalities have taken part in its programs. About 100 volunteers work there, alongside a network of 130 organizations that collaborate with the center.
One of them is Meysam, a young Afghan who grew up in Iran and worked there as a tailor. Before that, he was a resident here.
The name of the house is no coincidence either. Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped at the age of seven and sold into slavery.
POPE LEO XIV
Encourages us to recognize the fundamental role of women in building a civilization of love, an alternative to the culture that tears communities apart and makes cities sick with loneliness. The history of the Church and of humanity, upon closer inspection, is written by those who “make space,” establish peace processes, foster trust, and encourage life.
In 2025, the center recorded 664 new people, 56 percent of them women. Many had experienced human trafficking, violence at the hands of trafficking networks or prostitution.
One figure helps explain the center’s mission: about 30 percent of the volunteers who now support newcomers were once residents of Casa Bakhita themselves.
POPE LEO XIV
The reality is that, for Christians, the poor are not a sociological category, but Christ himself in the flesh. In fact, it is not enough to state in general terms the doctrine of the Incarnation of God. To truly enter into this mystery, we must recognize that the Lord became flesh, that he is hungry, that he is thirsty, that he is sick and imprisoned.
The words come from Dilexi te, and Pope Leo quotes himself to make the point that poverty also has names and concrete faces.
Before continuing with his schedule, the pope presented the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, an important part of the early history of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Mary represents protection and welcome, while Casa Bakhita offers people a place where they can find a chance to start over.
