Venerable Raphael Louis Rafiringa

Raphaël-Louis Rafiringa, FSC (born Firinga; 3 November 1856 – 19 May 1919) was a Catholic religious brother from Madagascar who served as a De La Salle Brother at a time in his nation when foreign missionaries were expelled. Rafiringa was raised in tribal religion but turned to the Christian faith and was baptized during his adolescence. Rafiringa was beatified on 7 June 2009; Archbishop Angelo Amato presided on the behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. Raphaël Rafiringa was born as "Firinga" on 3 November 1856 in Madagascar to Rainiantoandro. His father was a senior official to Queen Ranavalona I and captain of slaves belonging to the caste of Hova. His father lost a child in an earlier marriage. The local sorcerer – Mpisikidy – said to Rafiringa's father on the latter's decision to call his second son Rakotonirina: "Not that name!" and explained that the child would die at 22 months just like the previous son; instead the father said: "We shall call him Firinga". He saw his father on rare instances as a child and would not wear shoes and dressed in a loin cloth alone. He met missionaries from the De La Salle Brothers in 1866 and after this meeting told his father of his desire to go to school where his teacher was Brother Ladolien. He joined the school on 24 October 1869 when he received his baptism; he asked to join the congregation in 1876. Gonzalvien vested Rafiringa in the habit of the congregation on 11 March 1877. Rafiringa agreed to serve as an assistant teacher at the local De La Salle school in 1873. On 1 March 1878 he commenced his novitiate and assumed the religious name of "Raphael-Louis" and on 21 November 1879 made his profession as the first native of Madagascar to join. He was elected in 1883 as president of the Catholic Union of nationwide Madagascar and made his perpetual profession on 14 November 1889.