On October 10 the Catholic Church commemorates the liturgical memorial of St. Daniel Comboni, evangelizer and protector of the African continent.
Newsroom(13/10/2023 14:45, Gaudium Press) Born in 1831 in the Italian city of Limone, Daniel Comboni was ordained a priest at the age of 23, leaving for Africa three years later, where he dedicated his life to the evangelization of that people.
Heartbroken by the sad situation of the slaves, Comboni devised a project for the regeneration of Africa through the Africans themselves. This plan proposed the construction of schools, hospitals and universities, which would train future Christians, teachers, nurses, priests and nuns, who would then work to evangelize Africa.
In 1867, he founded the Institute for the Missions in Africa, which gave rise to what are now the Comboni Missionaries. In 1877, he was ordained a bishop. The saint died at the age of 50 on October 10, 1881. He was beatified by Saint John Paul II on March 17, 1996 and canonized by the same Pope on October 5, 2003.
Sayings of St. Daniel Comboni
01 – “We can never fear when we have a powerful and loving mother who watches over us.”
02 – “The works of God are born, grow and flourish at the foot of the Cross”.
03 – “If I had a thousand lives, I would give a thousand lives to the mission”.
04 – “I die, but my work will not die”.
05 – “The Nazarene, raised up on the tree of the Cross, stretching out one hand to the East and the other to the West, gathered his elect from all over the world into the bosom of the Church”.
Prayer to St. Daniel Comboni
God of goodness, who called Daniel Comboni to bring your message of love to the suffering peoples of the African continent, grant that we may find in the suffering around us the face of your son Jesus Christ. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen. (EPC)
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
