Could this Joburg Couple Become Saints?

by Admin · October 2, 2018

Domitilla and Daniel Hyams, the founders of Little Eden. The archdiocese of Johannesburg is looking to begin an investigation into launching a sainthood cause for the late couple.

A Johannesburg couple could one day become only the second married pair to be canonised, after Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St Thérèse of Lisieux.

The archdiocese of Johannesburg has laid the foundations for the sainthood cause of Domitilla and Daniel Hyams, founders of the Little Eden Society for intellectually disabled children in 1967.

Domitilla Hyams died in January 2011 at 92; Mr Hyams died the following year.

The recent plenary session of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference approved the investigation into the cause of the couple.

In looking at both as a couple, the archdiocese will be researching how they lived out the virtues — such as prudence, charity, faith and hope — in their married and family life, within their parish community of Edenvale, and in their work of establishing and running Little Eden.

With both spouses having died more than five years ago, this reflection is the first step in a long process that will investigate whether there are sufficient grounds for them to be presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican to be considered for possible beatification and eventual canonisation.

A formal petition known as a Libellus will soon be presented to Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg. The Libellus will then be published in the archdiocese, so that anyone with relevant information concerning the couple may contribute to the process, and in doing so assist the archbishop and the postulator of the cause.

For more information about the cause and the Little Eden Society, contact Nichollette Muthige on 011 609-7246 or