St. Daniel Comboni
Bishop and Missionary to Africa
Feast Day: October 10
Biography
St. Daniel Comboni (1831–1881) was born in Limone sul Garda in northern Italy, the only one of eight children in a poor gardener's family to survive to adulthood. He studied at the institute of Fr. Nicola Mazza in Verona, which trained missionaries for Africa, and was ordained a priest in 1854. In 1857 he set out for the Sudan, where illness and the deaths of his companions forced him back to Italy. Rather than give up, he developed his 'Plan for the Regeneration of Africa' in 1864, built on the conviction that Africans themselves must become the evangelizers of their continent. He traveled across Europe raising support, founded an institute of missionary priests and brothers in 1867, now the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, and in 1872 the Comboni Missionary Sisters, one of the first communities of women sent to Central Africa. He was named Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa in 1877 and consecrated bishop. He spoke out forcefully against the slave trade, which still ravaged the region. Worn out by work, grief, and fever, he died in Khartoum on October 10, 1881, at the age of fifty. Pope St. John Paul II beatified him in 1996 and canonized him on October 5, 2003.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Daniel Comboni, you gave your whole life for the peoples of Africa and never lost heart when your plans failed. Pray for missionaries throughout the world and for all who suffer slavery and exploitation. When I am discouraged, remind me that the work belongs to God, and help me to keep going with faith and love. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Daniel Comboni, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Daniel Comboni, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.