Peacemakers
who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
James
3:18
|
|
Let's
All be an instrument of Peace!
-
Everywhere
- In any condition
- At any time |
|
|
St.
Daniel Comboni – A SAINT FOR AFRICA
 Just
a year ago, Daniel Comboni, the founder of the Comboni Missionaries and
the Comboni Missionary Sisters was canonised or proclaimed saint by John
Paul II. Comboni is one of the founders of the Church in modern Africa.
Because of his zealousness, determination and dedication to Africa he
can justly be called; father, prophet and apostle of Christian Africa.
His first journey to Central Africa was in 1857. After some years of trial
his mission was failing because of the many deaths of the missionaries
of his group and others. Yet, Comboni remained faithful to his oath right
to the end. His dream and desire was Africa and the salvation of Africans.
He put forward a Plan for the evangelisation of Africa in which he saw
the Africans as protagonists in the work of evangelisation. Comboni’s
missionary passion can be summed up in his motto: “Save Africa through
Africa”.
Who
was Comboni?
He was born at Limone Sul Garda (northern Italy) on 15th March 1831, and
educated in Verona. His parents were ordinary workers of the land. They
had eight children, but Daniel was the only one who survived, and this
only child decided to offer his life for the missions of central Africa.
It was very painful for his parents to let him go, not knowing whether
they will see him back again. The chances were very low. In those days
one needed 2-3 months to reach Sudan, and the journey was very dangerous
and arduous. Yet, Daniel Comboni’s parents accepted their son’s
painful decision with faith and hope. Comboni himself was tormented by
the idea of leaving his parents with no one to take care of them. In his
letter to the parish priest of his village he said:
“There
is a great turmoil in me. I feel that I want to follow the difficult
career of a missionary… but I am concerned about my parents. If
I give up the idea of the foreign missions then I’ll be a martyr
for the rest of my life because of the desire which has been in me since
I was fourteen. However, if I do go to the missions, I’ll make
martyrs of my parents”.
He chose to make martyrs of his parents for the sake of Christ.
[CONTINUES
ON PAGE 2]
|
