Feast Day: May 19
On Trinity Sunday, June 7 2009, Brother Rafael Rafiringa, was beatified in a ceremony in Antananarivo, Madagascar. He was a native of Madagascar and holds a special place in the history of the local Church.
During a time when foreign missionaries were expelled from the country, Brother Rafael was chosen as the President of the Catholic Union for Madagascar, effectively running the Church during the period of great opposition. He suffered incarceration on false charges, yet held strongly to his faith and his vocation.
Eventually, he was named a Member of the Academy of Madagascar and received the Medal of Civil Merit for the success of his efforts to normalise the relations between Madagascar and France.
Most importantly, Brother Rafael was a man of God. He was a convert to Christianity from his native religion, becoming a Brother who worked arduously teaching, working with the poor, writing books and composing poems and music. He was an exceptionally talented and effective educator, a catechist and leader.
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