Blessed Benigna Cardoso da Silva

Benigna Cardoso da Silva (15 October 1928 – 24 October 1941) was a Brazilian Catholic child. She was adopted following the deaths of her parents, and was noted for aiding in household chores and attending Mass on a regular basis. In 1942, da Silva was murdered after rejecting the sexual advances of Raimundo Alves Riberio, who was around her age, in order to protect herself as being chaste as she desired. She defended herself even to the point of Riberio killing her, using a machete that he carried on his person. Her beatification cause launched in 2013 and she was beatified on 24 October 2022. Benigna Cardoso da Silva was born in Oiti on 15 October 1928 as the last of four children to José Cardoso da Silva and Teresa Maria da Silva. Her father died sometime before her birth and her mother died around the time she turned one. It was following this that the sisters Rosa and Honorina Sisnando adopted Benigna and her siblings. In her childhood she liked to take walks with her siblings or have picnics whenever she could, in between her taking care of the household chores; she was likewise a regular attendee at Mass and was known for her great devotion to her faith. There are no photographs of her, but contemporaries have said that Benigna was of medium height and was slender in addition to having a rounded face and a thin chin. It is also described that she had brown eyes and brown hair, and a slight strabismus in one eye. In 1941 when she was twelve Raimundo Alves Riberio – known as Raul, who was around her age – approached her sexually, though she rejected each of his advances. In concern she sought the guidance of her parish priest, Cristiano Coelho Rodrigues, on the matter, to which her priest advised her to resist Riberio. Riberio insisted on his advances following this; but Benigna continued to reject him, causing Riberio to grow frustrated with her repeated refusals.