DANIEL COMBONI Daniel Comboni, from whom the Comboni Missionaries take their name, had a life marked by a passion for Africa. He was born at Limone, on Lake Garda in northern Italy on 15 March 1831 and died in Khartoum, Sudan on 10 October 1881. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996 and canonised on 5 October 2003. Three words depict his short life: Missionary, Father and Prophet. Missionary At a time when Africa was the place of great expeditions and explorations, Daniel developed a love for Africa and Africans that would last all his life. In 1857, Comboni arrived in Egypt for the first time whilst on his way to Sudan. He was part of a group set for a missionary expedition organized by don Mazza. Later in his life, he was to pass through Cairo many times. In 1867, as leader of the Institute he had just founded, Comboni had decided to set up a permanent place in Old Cairo. During his lifetime, Comboni built three institutes for Africans in Cairo. He was entrusted with a vast mission that included the whole of Central Africa and in 1877 was named the first Bishop of Khartoum where he died just four years later. Comboni's missionary spirituality was centred on devotion to the Sacred Heart. The Heart of Jesus was pierced for love of humanity and Comboni saw in that love the source of zeal for the salvation of souls and strength in bearing trials and crosses for the sake of the Gospel. In his "Plan for the regeneration of Africa", Egypt played an important role. Apart from being a stop over for the missionaries, it was to be the place where missionaries would adapt themselves, especially to the climate, before proceeding to the heart of Africa. Egypt was also a strategic place, since it was here that Africans, who would later become evangelizers of their own people, were to receive the necessary training. Father Comboni soon realized that to ensure continuity to his mission to the vast African continent, he needed to form a group of priests, lay brothers and sisters. He started in 1867 in Verona by putting together a group of men - missionary priests and lay brothers - to whom he gave a rule for missionary life. Later, in 1872, he founded the 'Pie Madri della Nigrizia', the Comboni Sisters. He wrote, 'I only have one life to consecrate for the salvation of those souls: I wish I had a thousand lives to spend to such a purpose.' Today, his wish has been fulfilled in the 4,000 Comboni missionaries of many nationalities who work in over 40 countries world wide. Among these many nationalities, a number of Comboni missionaries, priests and sisters, come from Egypt and are now working in different continents and ministries. Prophet Comboni looked lovingly at Africa with faith and respect and saw potential where others saw only extreme and crippling poverty. He designed the above mentioned 'Plan for regeneration of Africa' where he saw Africans as architects of their own destiny. The kernel of the plan was to 'Save Africa through Africans' . At a time when many people were dismissing the African Continent as incapable of joining the rest of the 'civilized' world, Comboni sent two young Sudanese men to Rome to study for priesthood. He preached and wrote about the all-embracing concept of mission and the direct involvement in missionary work of religious men, women and lay people working together beyond the boundaries of nationalities. At the time, this sounded like Utopia; today these key elements of mission are taken for granted in the Church. The most profound aspect of Comboni's prophetic vision was in his understanding of martyrdom: he yearned to be so fully united with his Lord that he would willingly sacrifice his life for the Lord and for Africa; like the grain of wheat that would die and produce a harvest for the whole of Central Africa. His plan and work have encouraged followers for more than a century to witness to the Gospel by their work, example and, in some cases, physical martyrdom. Today, Comboni missionaries all over the world continue his work, often risking their lives to remain with the people they serve during times of war and famine. Times and situations have changed since Comboni's time and, as well as Africa, his followers are now present in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The ideal, however, remains the same: that, wherever we are, we may help the most abandoned of our world to savour the love of God through works of charity and to proclaim the fullness of life promised by Christ through the preaching of the Gospel.

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