The Beatification of Blessed Benedict Daswa

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Yesterday, September 13, the Church celebrated the beatification of Blessed Benedict Daswa. A husband, father, and teacher, he was martyred in 1990. He is the first South African to be honored in this way by the Church.



Saint Jerome once wrote: “Martyrdom does not consist only in dying for one’s faith. Martyrdom also consists in serving God with one’s love and purity of heart every day of one’s life.” Blessed Benedict Daswa is one of those graced souls who lived this mystery in a particularly effective way in his own life. This was echoed by Pope Francis in his September 13 Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square: “[Blessed Benedict] always showed great consistency, courageously taking on Christian attitudes and refusing worldly and pagan habits. His testimony helps especially families to spread the truth and charity of Christ.”

In many ways, Benedict Daswa is like any one of us. A man committed to his family and his vocation as a teacher and catechist, he made his Catholic faith the primary point of reference in every aspect of his life.

If you would like to read the full article I've written about he beatification, please click here.

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