St. Daniel Comboni

Today (Monday 10 October 2016), is the feast of St. Daniel Comboni.

Daniel Comboni was born in Italy in 1831. Early in life he felt the call to evangelize the peoples of Central Africa, who, at that time, were the poorest and most abandoned. He set off to Africa and established several missions. Daniel asked the Fathers of the first Vatican Council, founded two missionary Institutes and was given the responsibility for Central Africa.

Faithful to his motto “Africa or death” and his plan for the salvation of Africa, he lived and worked for the success of the mission until he died in Khartoum (Sudan) on 10 October 1881, at the age of fifty.

Daniel was beatified on 17 March 1996, Pope St. John Paul II and was canonised on 5 October 2003.

It was Daniel Comboni who brought Christianity to the West Nile and Comboni Missionaries still serve in the Diocese of Nebbi.