BEATIFICATION OF TSHIMANGADZO SAMUEL BENEDICT DASWA

Over 30 000  people celebrate  and worship at the Blessed Tshimangadzo Benedict Daswa shrine site

The Catholic Youth of Tzaneen Diocese  praise the Lord and after Cardinal Angelo Amato proclaims Benedict Daswa “Blessed”  the banner of Blessed Tshimangadzo is revealed while Blessed Benedict Daswa’s mother ponders on the mystery of this event in her heart. The 13 September 2015 is a day to be remembered in the history of the Church in Tzaneen Diocese.

EXHUMATION AND TRANSFER OF MORTAL REMAINS

On Monday 24 August 2015, the Church authorities and other authorised personnel with most of the close members of the Daswa Family, gathered in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption at Nweli. After the welcome and prayer service, the order of proceedings was outlined by the Promoter of Justice, Rev Doctor Edmund O’Neill sdb. All then proceeded to the cemetery in Mbahe Village and assembled at the grave which was clearly marked by the tombstone inscription as belonging to the Venerable Servant of God.With raised hands, three witnesses attested aloud that they were present at the burial of the Venerable Servant of God, Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa, and that this was indeed the place of burial of his remains. After calling each of the grave-diggers by name, Bishop Joao Rodrigues instructed them to proceed with their work.As the coffin had been very securely buried with several layers of thick cement between layers of soil, the process of uncovering the coffin took more than four hours.


The steel coffin which was in good condition, was carefully lifted upright from the grave.

With the consent of the Daswa Family it was then carried very respectfully to the grave of Eveline (Shady) Daswa, the deceased wife of Benedict, and placed on top of her tombstone. After the coffin was opened the skeletal remains of the Venerable Servant of God were seen to be intact within the original wrappings, which were themselves intact.The Family indicated their preference for the remains to be kept undisturbed in the original coffin for re-interment. Following the age-old custom of the Church, some small portions of the cloth in which the deceased was wrapped and a tiny portion of bone were taken for future use as relics.
After the coffin had been brushed down to remove excess soil, an official church document testifying to the date of death and exhumation of the Venerable Servant of God was placed inside the coffin.



It was then covered in white material and draped in colourful traditional Venda cloth. It was next secured with strong bands, bound with red ribbon and sealed with the wax seal of the Diocese of Tzaneen. The adult children of Benedict Daswa carried the dressed and sealed coffin to the hearse which then departed for the Church of the Assumption of Mary at Nweli, followed in convoy by the other cars.

The remains, carried by the children of Benedict Daswa, entered the church from which it departed 25 years previously. Bishop Joao Noe Rodrigues blessed and sprinkled with Holy Water and incensed the newly prepared vault, coffin and remains, as well as the Paschal Candle which was placed alongside the new vault.The coffin was then lowered on to four bricks to its new resting place, after which all were invited to view the coffin before the undertakers began the work of closing the vault with a new tombstone and headstone. The children of Benedict Daswa placed a veil as well as a bouquet of flowers on the newly sealed vault. After a brief prayer service and vote of thanks by a senior family of the Daswa Family and the Chairperson of the Diocese of Tzaneen, everyone departed.The unveiling of the tombstone will take place on the Saturday 12 September 2015, the day before the celebration of the beatification Mass..

Tshimangadzo - The Life of Benedict Daswa (full version)

MONTH OF PRAYER WITH THE SAYINGS OF BENEDICT DASWA

With only one month to go before the beatification of the Venerable Martyr and Servant of God Benedict Daswa,we are all encouraged to ask Benedict Daswa to pray for special needs and favours and for a successful celebration of the beatification. Attached is a booklet of prayers with some sayings of Benedict Daswa  which you may download and use in your family prayer and prayer groups in the parish.

Download the Prayer Booklet at  

MONTH OF PRAYER WITH THE SAYINGS OF BENEDICT DASWA.PDF

Please communicate any favour and blessing which has been received through the intercession of Blessed Benedict Daswa to the promoter of the cause,Sister Claudette at the following email address:  bendaswa@mweb.co.za

BEATIFICATION DETAILS of T.S. BENEDICT DASWA

DATE:           Sunday, 13 September 2015

VENUE:       Benedict Daswa Shrine Site at Tshitanini, near Thohoyandou, 

                           Limpopo Province, South Africa

TIME:                 07h30 - Opening Ceremony (Youth Presentation)

09h00 - Prayer of the Church in honour of Benedict Daswa

10h00 - Beatification Mass led by Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB

People are welcome:

·        to bring their own chairs, blankets and umbrellas as seating will be very limited;

·        to camp at the venue on Saturday night before the day of beatification;

·        to bring their own meals but food and drinks will be on sale.

THE BEATIFICATION OF BENEDICT DASWA:SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2015 AT BENEDICT DASWA SHRINE SITE IN TSHITANINI NEAR THOHOYANDOU

The celebration of the beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa will take place on Sunday 13 September 2015 at the Benedict Daswa Shrine site in Tshitanini near Thohoyandou (17 km north of the Thohoyandou Stadium) in the Diocese of Tzaneen, Limpopo Province,South Africa.The representative of Pope Francis at the celebration will be His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Amato SDB,the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The road direction is quite simple.After reaching Louis Trichardt/Makhado  on the N1, you turn into the R524 towards Thohoyandou.It takes about an hour or so by car from Louis Trichardt to Thohoyandou along the R524.

Once you get to the roundabout in Thohoyandou you must take the main street to Sibasa (north-east direction)towards Masisi.You keep going straight along the main street for about 12 kms until you see the Dzingahe sign and turn right to Road D 3710 in the direction of Mbahe-Malavuwe.After 5 km along this dust road you will arrive at the Benedict Daswa Shrine site on the right.

The GPS coordinates of the site are:

(DMS)   GPS Coordinates for the site:

S 22° 54’15.18″, E 30° 33′ 33.69″

DD (decimal degrees) GPS Coordinates for the site:

Latitude  -22.904224  Longitude 30.559366)  

FUND RAISING FOR THE CAUSE OF THE VENERABLE MARTYR BENEDICT DASWA

The Cause of the Venerable Martyr Benedict Daswa is now advancing to the most important event of his beatification which will be taking place later this year. Meanwhile the plan to develop the shrine in honour of his martyrdom near his home village is going ahead.All of this is the responsibility of the Diocese of Tzaneen.We have started a special fund-raising campaign for the cause of the venerable martyr of Christ - the Five Rand for Five rand campaign - and it is our hope that other dioceses and individuals and groups will contribute generously towards the cause so that we will be able to complete the work the Lord has given us to do in honour of his martyr.

The details of the special bank account is as follows:

Bank: Standard Bank of South Africa
Branch: 052749
Name of Account: Diocese of Tzaneen: Benedict Daswa Cause
Account Number: 330911538
Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ

SA's Benedict Daswa's beatification authorised by Pope Francis

Bishop's 2015 Programme

                               

Year: 2015	First Week	Second Week	Third Week	Fourth Week
January	1- 11  India	12 - 17In Office: Tzaneen 14 Thohoyandou 15 Consultors	18 – 24 Tzaneen Office: 20 -27 SACBC meet: Pretoria	25 – 27 Pretoria 28-31  Tzaneen
February	2 Makhado Consecrated Life 3-7 Tzaneen	8 Giyani 9 Tzaneen 10-11 Priests meet 12 Finance Meet 13 Glen Cowie Teachers meet 14 Mashishing	15Mashishing Meet Youth 18 Ash Wed     Cathedral 19 Thohoyandou 20 St Brendan’s	22 - 27 AMPC retreat
March	Pretoria 1-3 Metropolitan meet 4-7 Tzaneen 4 Diocesan Catechetical Committee meet	9 -10 meet cardinal 12 – 13 Johannesburg  CASPA meet 14 DPC meet at AMPC	15 -21 Tzaneen 17 St Patrick’s at AMPC   19 Thohoyandou	22 – 31Taneen 24 – 25 Pretoria Dep. Of  Clergy meeting  Holy Week begins 29 Palm Sunday 31 Chrism Mass at cathedral
April	1 – 4 Tzaneen 2 Holy Thursday 3 Good Friday 4 Easter Vigil	5-11Tzaneen 5 Easter Sunday 9 Consultors	12 -18  Tzaneen 18 Fifth Anniversary as bishop - Cathedral	19 – 30 19 Malamulele 22 -26 Wedding CT
May	1 – 9 Tzaneen 3 Modjadjiskloof 7 AMPC meeting 9 Child Protection Policy workshop AMPC	10 – 16 Tzaneen 10 Thohoyandou 11 – 12 Priests meeting AMPC 16 Diocesan Finance Council AMPC	17 – 23  Tzaneen 17 St Scholastica 22 -23 Year of Consecrated Life celebration AMPC	24 – 31Tzaneen 24 Tzaneen - confirmations 31 Ofcolaco
June	1 – 6 Tzaneen	7- 13 Tzaneen 7 Dwars River	14 – 20 Tzaneen 14 Olifants River 18 Thohoyandou	21 – 30 Tzaneen 21 Ngwabitsi 28 Tzaneen 29 To Cape Town
July	1- 11 on leave in Cape Town	12 – 18 13 Return to Tzaneen 16 Thohoyandou	19 – 25 Tzaneen 19 Makhado 23 Consultors	26 – 31 Tzaneen 26 Phalaborwa 28 – 29 Priests meet AMPC
August	1 – 8 Tzaneen 2 Nzhelele 4 – 11 SACBC meet at Mariannhill	9-11 Mariannhill 12 – 15 Tzaneen	16 – 22 Tzaneen 15 DPC meet at AMPC	23 – 31 Tzaneen 16 Musina 30 Giyani
Sept	1 – 5 Tzaneen	6 -12 Tzaneen	13 Beatification of Benedict     Daswa at   Tshitanini	20 – 30 Tzaneen 20 Tzaneen 29 – 30 Priests meet with Fr Hugh Lagan SMA
October	1-10  1- 4 Blessing of the Fleet 5- 10 Tzaneen	11 – 17 Tzaneen	18 – 24 Tzaneen 20 -21 Pretoria Dep of Clergy	25 – 31 Tzaneen
November	1 – 7 Tzaneen 7 Diocesan Finance Council AMPC	8 – 14 Tzaneen	15 – 21 Tzaneen	22 – 30 Tzaneen
December	1- 5 Tzaneen	6 – 12 Tzaneen 10 End of Year Mass Thanksgiving AMPC	13 – 19 Tzaneen	20 -26 Tzaneen 25 Christmas Mass Tzaneen End of year break in Cape Town

Pope Francis gives the green light for the beatification of Benedict Daswa,a martyr of Christ

On the 22^nd January 2015,Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree on the martyrdom of Benedict Daswa who was killed on 2 February 1990 at the village of Mbahe in the Limpopo Province.This opens the way for the beatification, a public recognition by the Catholic Church that Benedict Daswa is indeed a blessed martyr of Christ and intercedes in heaven before God for the needs of God’s people.The Diocese of Tzaneen will be responsible for organising the celebration of Benedict Daswa’s beatification which will take place later this year.
Benedict Daswa will be the first blessed martyr of the Catholic Church in South Africa.The beatification of Benedict Daswa will have a deep personal significance for all the Catholic faithful in this southern African region and will also be an inspiration for the Christian population in general. He was a man who refused to compromise his faith in Jesus, the Lord and Saviour of humanity, and he was prepared to pay the ultimate price out of love for the Lord.
”Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”( John 15,13).
For the Catholic faithful this also means that we can ask Benedict Daswa who is in heaven to pray to God for our needs and to expect many blessings in answer to his intercession.Already a number of  people have shared their testimonies concerning the blessings they received from God after seeking the heavenly intercession of Benedict Daswa. This is the way the saints give glory to God because of their heavenly communion with Christ the Lord. We expect Benedict Daswa to continue to intercede for us because of his special connection with the people of Africa and one day he may even be canonized by the Catholic Church.
It is clear that the beatification of Benedict Daswa will mark the beginning of a growing public devotion in honour of his martyrdom. More and more people will want to learn about him and even go on pilgrimage to the places of particular significance in his life and death. People will want to meet together for prayer and reflection inspired by Benedict Daswa’s example of life.The Diocese of Tzaneen has obtained land in Tshitanini village near the villages where Benedict Daswa lived most of his life.It is there that a shrine will be built in his honour , where pilgrims will be able to come together in prayer and receive healing from God in body, mind and spirit and be inspired to follow the Gospel way of Jesus Christ who leads us to eternal life and salvation.