Feast of friends and benefactors in the General House in Rome

Terrible is the situation described by Father Brighton. The conflict has already left at least 20,000 dead and over 100,000 injured. Internally displaced persons now exceed eleven million. Refugees in neighbouring countries – Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Libya and Egypt – number more than three million. The entire population of Sudan (45.5 million) is suffering a devastating humanitarian crisis, which has led to frequent appeals by Pope Francis and the international community for an urgent ceasefire, to make room for dialogue and conflict resolution.

At the end of Father Brighton’s testimony, Nicola Maciarello’s painting of St Daniel Comboni, entitled ‘I remain with you forever’, was presented. This was followed by a very heartfelt Eucharistic celebration presided over by Father Brighton himself.

I WILL STAY WITH YOU FOREVER

The painting (150 cm x 130 cm) is the work of the talented painter Nicola Maciarello, a friend of the Curia community, an expert in the artistic settings of Neapolitan nativity scenes and a gifted painter. The work was donated to the Comboni community after the author discovered the holiness and apostolic zeal of Saint Daniel Comboni. The author clearly stated that he was inspired by the splendid homily Comboni gave in Khartoum Cathedral on the day of his instalment as Apostolic Provicar, on 11th May 1873 (Writings, 3156-3164).

The painting depicts Comboni, not in the cathedral in Khartoum, but in the open air, surrounded by a small crowd of people, adults and children. He holds a paper in his hand, on which the incipit of his homily can be read. The variety of the conditions of his ‘listeners’ – the shape of their clothes tells us that they are not members of the capital’s high society – suggests to us what kind of people St Daniel Comboni was actually addressing when he delivered that famous sermon of his. It was to them – or people like them – that the future saint promised he would remain with them forever, until his last breath on this earth, and then still be their ‘father’ after his arrival in heaven.

Comboni fulfilled the first part of his promise on 10^th October 1881, when he died at the age of 51 in Khartoum. That he kept the second part of his solemn promise was confirmed by the Church with his canonisation on 5^th October 2003, through the mouth of Pope John Paul II.

His message – ‘I will stay with you forever’ – continues to inspire the missionary consecration of so many men and women who have made the Founder’s original charism their own, and his life remains an example – challenging, ambitious and often arduous – of a style of evangelisation worthy of being followed even today in the many difficult situations in which we Comboni priests, religious, sisters and laypeople find ourselves operating.