Anglican Commemoration
Catechist & Martyr in Mashonaland
June 18 · d. 1896
also known as Bernard Mizeke
Mozambican-born catechist who worked among the Shona people in Mashonaland (modern Zimbabwe), bringing the Gospel through patient catechetical instruction and incarnational witness. Mizeki was killed during the Mashona Rebellion (First Chimurenga) in 1896, becoming the first widely commemorated African Anglican martyr. Though his own writings are limited, the testimony of missionary colleagues and the continuing pilgrimage to his shrine site preserve his memory as a faithful witness.
Bernard Mizeki is honored in African Anglican tradition, particularly in the Church of Zimbabwe, as the first widely commemorated African Anglican martyr. Unlike earlier Uganda Martyrs (primarily 1880s, mostly Catholic), Mizeki represents the Anglican mission in Southern Africa and the indigenization of Christianity through catechetical work. Annual pilgrimages to his shrine site in Zimbabwe constitute a living tradition of veneration and intercession. In contemporary ACNA and global Anglican discourse, Mizeki exemplifies authentic African Anglican witness and the reality that African leaders—not only European missionaries—shed their blood for the faith. His memory bridges missionary history and post-colonial African Christianity.
Bernard Mizeki was born around 1861, likely in Mozambique, and came into contact with Anglican missionaries and Christian teaching in his youth. Unlike many missionary enterprise leaders from Europe and America, Mizeki was himself African and understood intuitively the cultural, linguistic, and religious contexts in which the Gospel was being proclaimed. He became a catechist under the Anglican mission in the Diocese of Mashonaland, which was then establishing itself in Southern Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe).
As a catechist, Mizeki's work was foundational: he taught Christian doctrine, prepared converts for baptism and confirmation, led prayer and worship in local languages, and embodied the Christian faith in the daily life of the Shona communities where he worked. Catechists in African missions functioned as the primary interface between missionary leadership (which remained largely expatriate and European) and African congregations. Mizeki's role made him both a trusted spiritual guide and, inevitably, a figure threatening to indigenous religious and political authorities.
In 1896, the Mashona people rose in rebellion against British colonial authority and the missionary presence that was perceived as allied with colonial expansion. The rebellion, known as the First Chimurenga (or Matabele Rebellion), was also a religious uprising: traditional indigenous religions were reasserted, and those associated with Christianity—especially African catechists and missionaries—became targets. Mizeki was killed, becoming the most prominent African victim of the rebellion and, in Anglican memory, the first widely commemorated African Anglican martyr.
After his death, a shrine was established at the site of his martyrdom, and annual pilgrimages have been made there by Christians throughout the region for more than a century. Though contemporary written records are sparse—Mizeki himself left minimal personal writings, and mission records from the turbulent 1890s are incomplete—oral tradition, missionary testimony, and the living shrine tradition preserve his memory as a faithful witness and martyr.
Almighty God, you gave your servant Bernard Mizeki boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.