Saint Who?
Saints Who Established Schools
Blessed Benedict Daswa
Martyr († 1990)Feast: February 1
Tshimangadzo Samuel Daswa was born in South Africa in 1946. When his father died, he worked to provide for his younger siblings. He was especially concerned for their education, and encouraged them to take pride in their academic work.
Daswa converted to Catholicism in 1963, and was baptized Benedict. He attended a teacher’s training college and took correspondence courses, earning himself accreditation in school administration. He taught primary school before becoming a principal. Strict but fair, he was deeply concerned with the welfare of his students. He involved them in music and sports, visited the families of troubled students, and helped poorer students earn money to pay for their books and uniforms.
Daswa was married and had eight children, whom he loved tenderly. He annually hosted a joyful family feast: “Daswa Family Day.” He was respected throughout the community. But in 1989, bad storms hit his region. The local elders decided to hire a magician to find the person responsible. A tax was levied to fund the witch-hunt. Daswa refused to pay such a tax, insisting that the storms were a natural phenomenon. He was ambushed by an angry mob and murdered. His final words were, “God, into your hands receive my spirit.”
Mighty Father, through the intercession of
Blessed Benedict Daswa, deliver all teachers
and students from the lies of the occult.
