On March 15, 1831, Daniel Comboni was born in Limone, near Lake Garda in Brescia, Italy. His family was a family of cultivators who worked for a wealthy local owner. Daniel's parents, Luigi and Domenica, were very close to him. He was the fourth of eight children and the only one to survive; the other six passed away at an early age. They were, therefore, very poor in worldly possessions but wealthy in faith and human values, forming a very tight unit.

Because of his poverty, Daniel was compelled to attend the Institute in Verona, which Father Nicola Mazza established. Daniel completed his studies in philosophy and theology during his time in Verona, where he also found his calling to the priesthood. But most of all, he became enthralled with the mission of Central Africa after reading about the missionaries who came back to the Mazza Institute. After receiving his ordination in 1854, Comboni set off for Africa three years later, accompanied by five other Mazza Institute missionaries and his mother's approval.

The missionary expedition that includes Comboni arrived at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, after a four-month journey. This first-hand experience with Africa had a profound influence, as Daniel was quickly made aware of the many challenges that are a part of his new mission. But despite his labors, the harsh weather, illness, the deaths of several of his young fellow missionaries, the poverty, and the population's neglect, he was driven ahead and never thought of giving up on the work he had embarked on with much fervor.

When Comboni returned to Italy, it was still Africa and its people that inspired him to come up with a new missionary plan. Daniel received a profound inspiration in 1864 while praying at the Tomb of St. Peter in Rome. This inspiration led to the creation of his well-known Plan for the Rebirth of Africa, a missionary endeavor that can be summed up in the phrase "Save Africa through Africa," which expresses his unwavering faith in the human and religious potential of the African peoples.

Despite the difficulties and misunderstandings, he faced, Daniel Comboni sought to reinforce his intuition: that all European society and the Church are called to become far more concerned with Central Africa's mission. He embarked on a relentless journey as a missionary, pleading with kings and queens throughout Europe for money and spiritual support for the African missions. He introduces a missionary magazine, the first in Italy, as a tool for missionary animation.

He founded two missionary institutes for men and women in 1867 and 1872, respectively, because of his unwavering belief in the Lord and his love for Africa. These organizations would later come to be known more widely as the Comboni Missionaries and the Comboni Missionary Sisters.

As the Verona Bishop's theologian, he participated in the First Vatican Council and persuaded seventy bishops to sign a petition calling for the evangelization of Central Africa.

Comboni was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa on July 2, 1877, and ordained as a bishop one month later. He and all of his missionaries suffered physical and mental agony in 1877 and 1878 as a result of the unprecedented drought and famine that followed. The missionary staff and their activities were nearly eliminated, and the local populations were cut in half.

Bishop Comboni, unwavering in his resolve, made his eighth and final trip to Africa in 1880 to support his missionaries in their ongoing fight against the Slave Trade and to strengthen the missionary work being done by Africans themselves.

Just a year later Comboni became ill, overcome by his labours, the rapid succession of deaths among his partners, and a flood of harsh accusations and slander. He passed away in Khartoum, among his people, on October 10, 1881, at the age of fifty. He states, "I am dying, but my work will not die," indicating that he was aware that his missionary work would continue after him.

On April 6, 1995, the cure of an Afro-Brazilian girl, Maria José de Oliveira Paixão, was accepted as a miracle through his intercession. On March 17, 1996, Pope John Paul II beatified him in St. Peter's. On December 20, 2003, the cure of Lubna Abdel Aziz, a Muslim mother from Sudan, was recognized as a miracle done through him. On October 5, 2003, John Paul II canonized him in St. Peter's.

Other Saints of the Day
St. Maharsapor
St. Aldericus
St. Victor and Companions
St. Francis Borgia
St. Paulinus of Capua