06/18/2026
Today the church honors Bernard Mizeki, Martyr, 1896.
“I cannot leave my people now in a time of such darkness.” - Bernard Mizeki
Bernard Mizeki was born in Mozambique and moved with his cousin to South Africa. He worked various jobs but fell into poverty, ending up in the slums of Cape Town. There, he witnessed the darkness of despair and saw his neighbors succumb to alcoholism. Resolving to escape this fate, he refused to drink alcohol and attended night classes at an Anglican school. He embraced the Christian faith and was baptized at age 25. At school, Mizeki proved proficient in languages. He mastered English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and eight African languages and aided the church’s initiative to translate Scripture into native tongues. He attended Zonnebloem College, became a church catechist, and was sent as a missionary to the Shona people in Zimbabwe. There, a community developed around his home where he taught children in the faith and cared for the poor. In 1896, drought and plague unsettled the region and many missionaries fled to avoid civil unrest. Mizeki refused to abandon his people. This decision resulted in his martyrdom. An ally of a local witchdoctor dragged Mizeki from his home and stabbed him to death. Friends of Mizeki saw the stabbing and ran for help. At a distance, they looked back and saw a bright, overwhelming light surround Mizeki’s home and the loud sound of flapping wings filled the sky. When they returned, Mizeki’s body had disappeared. The site of his home in ZImbabwe remains a significant pilgrimage destination, to this day.
Today’s Readings: https://www.lectionarypage.net/LesserFF/Jun/Mizeki.html
🙏 Almighty and everlasting God, who kindled the flame of your love in the heart of your holy martyr Bernard Mizeki: Grant unto us your humble servants a like faith and power of love, that we, who rejoice in his triumph, may profit by his example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Source: Art & bio by Ben Lansing ourchurchspeaks.com