Cause for SA’s first Saint fast-tracked

by Claire Mathieson · September 18, 2013

Despite a queue of thousands of causes for sainthood, the cause of the servant of God Benedict Daswa is moving quickly forward even Pope Francis has been made aware of the cause, something which is incredibly encouraging.

On July 4 retired Bishop Hugh Slattery and Fr Andre Bohas celebrated Mass with Pope Francis at Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican. Afterwards they greeted the pope and gave him a copy of the novena and DVD on Benedict Daswa whose cause of martyrdom will be examined by the theologian consultors of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in October next year.

Retired Bishop Hugh Slattery of Tzaneen and Fr Andre Bohas MSC travelled to Rome in July where they presented the pope with a DVD on the life of Benedict and a novena prayer booklet. Bishop Slattery handed the documents over after concelebrating Mass with the Holy Father in the chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Promoter for the cause Sr Claudette Hiosan said while the cause is one among thousands, it is being viewed very positively in Rome and is being fast-tracked. There are currently more than 2 200 causes being investigated by the Congregration for the Causes of Saints. Most of these have not yet reached examination by the theologian consultors.

The decree by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on the validity of the diocesan inquiry on Benedict Daswa was issued on November 5, 2010 and the copies of the actual Positio book for examination by the theologian consultors was handed in on April 3 this year, she said.

It is expected the South African cause will be examined in October 2014. Sr Hiosan said this was an unusually short wait for a cause such as ours.

Unlike the globally recognised public figures of the Catholic Church such as Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II, for whom public calls of subito santo were made with the backing of all the important Vatican officials, Benedict Daswa was unknown by most of the world and was killed in a relatively obscure, poor village in the north of Limpopo province.

Sr Hiosan said it was very encouraging that such a relatively obscure cause has caught the attention of the prefect of the congregation and that even Pope Francis is now aware of it!

She said the Tzaneen diocese hoped to make known the story of Benedict potentially South Africas first saint. Furthermore we need more people of goodwill to pray for the success of the cause by seeking the special intercession of this servant of God. We are hoping that the novena for the cause will be prayed by more and more groups in all the dioceses of the SACBC region.

The promoter added that president of the bishops conference, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, who will travel to Rome as part of the SACBC bishops ad limina visit, will speak to Pope Francis about the importance of this cause and the people of South Africa.

Currently in the diocese of Tzaneen, private devotion to the servant of God continues to grow and contributions from the faithful to help the cause progress continue to come in, but more funding is very much needed for the development of a pilgrimage-centre and special shrine.

Sr Hiosan said the cause for the martyred teacher from Tzaneen was very strong. He is indeed a martyr and prophetic figure of faith for Africa. I believe this is the reason why his cause has reached this critical stage and can now spread in a concerted prayer campaign throughout the SACBC region. God does not only choose the well-known or famous people for sainthood but usually chooses the lowly and unknown of this world to reveal Gods glory.

For more information contact 0153075244 or . Any donations can be made to: Diocese of Tzaneen, Benedict Daswa Cause, account 330911538, Standard Bank, branch 052749.