Saint Daniel Comboni (Italian: Daniele Comboni) was a prominent Italian Catholic bishop, a missionary in Africa, the founder of religious congregations and one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Catholic Church. He devoted his life to the evangelisation of the African continent, driven by a deep conviction that ‘Africa must save Africa’.
1. Childhood and youth
● Birth: He was born on 15 March 1831 in the picturesque town of Limone sul Garda in northern Italy.
● Background: He came from a very poor family of gardeners who worked in the service of a local nobleman. He was the fourth of eight children, but due to extreme poverty and harsh conditions, he was the only one to survive – all his siblings died in infancy.
● Education and vocation: Thanks to the support and self-sacrifice of his deeply devout parents, he went to study in Verona at an institute for poor boys founded by the priest Nicola Mazza. It was here that he felt a calling to the priesthood and, inspired by the stories of missionaries returning from Africa, he was filled with a profound desire to go and preach the Gospel on the African continent. He was ordained a priest on 31 December 1854.
2. First steps in the missions and the ‘Plan for the Revival of Africa’
● First journey to Africa: In 1857, he set off for Sudan together with five other missionaries. After an arduous four-month journey, they arrived in the capital, Khartoum.
● The harsh reality: Missionary work in Central Africa was immensely demanding. Daniel faced extreme heat, tropical diseases, the poverty of the local population and, above all, the high mortality rate among his young fellow missionaries. Although many of his colleagues died, his enthusiasm remained unbroken. With deep fervour, he wrote the famous words: ‘We will have to work, sweat and die; but the thought that we are sweating and dying for the love of Jesus Christ… is too sweet for us.’
● The Famous Plan (1864): Whilst praying at the tomb of St Peter in Rome, he was struck by an inspiration that led to the creation of a revolutionary document entitled ‘A Plan for the Revival of Africa’. Its central idea was to involve Africans themselves in building their own Church and society – in other words, ‘to save Africa through Africa’ (Italian: Salvare l’Africa con l’Africa).
3. The Founding of Religious Orders and Episcopal Ministry
To ensure that the work in Africa would have lasting and systematic support, he founded two religious congregations:
1. The Comboni Missionaries (Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus) – founded in 1867 in Verona for priests and religious brothers.
2. The Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (Comboni Sisters) – founded in 1872 for women’s religious and missionary work.
In addition, he published the first specialised missionary journal in Italy and fought tirelessly throughout Europe for the abolition of the brutal slave trade.
● Bishop in Central Africa: In 1877, Pope Pius IX appointed him Apostolic Vicar for Central Africa and consecrated him as a bishop. He returned to Khartoum, where he actively protected runaway slaves, founded schools and orphanages, and taught the local people various trades.

4. Death and Legacy
● Death: He died of exhaustion and cholera on 10 October 1881 in Khartoum (Sudan) at the age of just 50. Before his death, he left his fellow brothers with these prophetic words: “I am dying, but my work will not die.”
● Canonisation:
○ He was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II on 17 March 1996.
○ He was canonised as a saint, also by Pope John Paul II, on 5 October 2003.
● Liturgical feast day: The Catholic Church commemorates him on 10 October.
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Fascinating aspects of his life and work
● The fight against the slave trade: Daniel Comboni was not only a spiritual shepherd but also a defender of human rights. He described the 19th-century slave trade in Africa as ‘a slap in the face of humanity’. He travelled throughout Europe (visiting royal courts, government officials and the Pope) to stir the consciences of politicians and secure both financial and moral support for the liberation of slaves.
● Cultural pioneer and linguist: He was one of the first missionaries to realise that, for the Gospel to be successful, a missionary must learn the language and culture of the local people. He himself wrote a grammar and dictionary of the Central African Dinka language. In addition, he introduced modern teaching methods – in Khartoum and Verona, he founded schools where indigenous children and young people not only learnt to read and write, but also acquired practical skills (farming, carpentry, tailoring) so that they could look after themselves.
● A missionary without prejudice: At a time when Europe often held a condescending view of the inhabitants of other continents, Comboni regarded Africans with immense respect and dignity. He believed they possessed the same intellectual and spiritual potential as anyone else.
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Thoughts and quotations
The theme of trust in God was a cornerstone of Saint Daniel Comboni’s life. In his arduous missionary work in Africa, despite illness, misunderstanding and the loss of many fellow missionaries, he drew strength from the deep conviction that God was his all.
Here are some of his powerful thoughts and quotations focusing on trust in God and overcoming fear:
● “With the Cross and with Jesus, my all, I fear neither the storms in Rome, nor the gales in Egypt, nor the unrest in Verona or Paris. With slow and steady steps, walking through thorns, I shall certainly reach my goal and successfully establish the work of Africa’s renewal.” (This famous statement demonstrates his absolute trust in Christ amidst any adversity and external obstacles.)
● “We can never be afraid when we have a powerful and loving Mother watching over us, and a God who calls us.” (From his letters, in which he encouraged his missionaries to be at peace and to be courageous).
● “God is everything to me.” (A hallmark of his spiritual life – for him, God was not merely a theoretical concept, but truly ‘Everything’ upon which he built every step of his work).
● “I assure you that God is calling me, and so I go forward boldly.” (His words when faced with the difficult decisions to leave home and set out into the unknown).
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*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***