Writings

[1898]
The Very Reverend Mother Maria Michela, Abbess of the Benedictine convent of nuns at Nonnberg, Salzburg, has done me the honour of expressing in her letter of 21st May Your Most Reverend Highness’ wishes that I accept in my female Institute in Cairo the African girl Giuseppina, educated in the Ursuline Convent in Salzburg, so that by returning to Africa she might consecrate herself to working for the good of her co-nationals. Although I have refused more than 40 of these poor African girls educated in the various convents of Italy, France and Germany, because I have enough individuals to make up, in due course, several houses in Central Africa, nevertheless since a mere wish of Your Most Reverend Highness is an absolute command for Fr Comboni, I declare that I consider it an honour and a pleasure to receive the said African girl Giuseppina in my Institute in Cairo. Moreover, I am certain that having been educated in the convents of Germany, and especially in your most illustrious Primatial Archdiocese, she will be so well grounded in the spirit of piety and the faith that by her mere example she will be an element of apostolate to her infidel sisters, as was the most pious Petronilla, educated by the Benedictines at Nonnberg.
[1899]
As regards the time to send the said African girl to Cairo, Your Most Reverend Highness may do so whenever you wish, even immediately. The most appropriate route is via Trieste, where there is the Procurator of the Catholic Missions who will give all the necessary help for her to sail to Alexandria. Should you deem it convenient to wait until I manage to arrange to send two Sisters next August, or perhaps sooner, who will be travelling via Trieste, then I will make it my duty to inform Your Most Reverend Highness on the precise time of the departure.
[1900]
While I declare myself always prepared to fulfil Your Most Reverend Highness’s wishes, I beg you to pray and to have prayers said for the most successful outcome of the Work for the Regeneration of central Africa and of the first three Institutes I have just founded in Egypt which, with heaven’s help, are making many conversions. The undertaking is one of the most difficult in the world: but I am ready to die a thousand times to succeed; and I will succeed with the help of that divine hand quae nondum abbreviata est thanks to the new plan I have proposed to the Holy See, and which was praised by countless Bishops and by all the Heads of the African Missions.
[1901]
Our much regretted Petronilla contributed to the making of several conversions; she was profoundly educated in piety and the fear of God. She gave me a fine idea of the success of the Monastery which took her in and educated her. As I beg you to give me your pastoral blessing, I kiss your sacred hands and declare myself in all respect, gratitude and veneration, Your Most Reverend Highness’s most humble and devoted servant

Fr Daniel Comboni

Apostolic Missionary of Central Africa
Superior of the Institutes for Africans in Cairo.

[1902]
I received your welcome letter of 21stMay and I am already answering after a few days.

I have just finished writing to His Most Reverend Highness the Archbishop of Salzburg to tell him that I accept to take the African girl he mentioned into my Institute, since I deny nothing to a Prince of the Church who is so worthy of veneration.
[1903]
Our dear Petronilla went to heaven on 31st January 1869 at 6 p.m. We have celebrated 58 (I say fifty-eight) votive Masses for her, 50 of which were celebrated by my dear companions Stanislao Carcereri and Fr Franceschini who, together with the Superior and Sisters of St Joseph and my African girls were with her in the hour of her death. Petronilla has certainly gone to heaven! I assure you that we are deeply afflicted by her death. She has again contributed to the conversion of so many African girls. Her white baptismal veil was immediately used by us upon our arrival in Egypt to cover the Tabernacle, and her white baptismal dress has already been used twice to adorn the new converts on the day of their baptism, as well as on the day of their first Holy Communion. She had an extraordinarily great devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to the Virgin Most Holy and to St Stanislaus. She also retained an infinite gratitude to your monastery and it was she herself who was with Fr Olivieri at the moment of his death, when he breathed his last on the bare earth. She was always deeply moved by Fr Olivieri’s act of love and piety.
[1904]
I send you three yearbooks of the Cologne Association. I would ask you to convey the latest of these yearbooks, that is the fifteenth, to Her Majesty Empress Carolina after you and the Most Reverend Archbishop have read it. Please read the others too, for example from page 7 on of the 14th yearbook. It mentions Salzburg and names Fr Olivieri as well, etc.

Fr Daniel Comboni, Apostolic Missionary

Oh! Pray fervently for me. Just think that on 10th June I opened my third Institute.


Translation from the German.

[1905]
As the most happy recurrence of Your Most Illustrious and Reverend Excellency’s name day approaches, please allow, Monsignor, your children in Africa to be present too this year expressing their filial love, affection and gratitude by wishing that it might bring you all the good and heavenly comfort you may ever need. In the trust that even our voice, emerging from the parched jaws of the burning Sahara, can make itself heard at the foot of God’s throne, and in the certainty that the Most High, to whom no person is comparable, will nonetheless view our bronzed faces in this land of blacks, we turn to him faithfully to ask him to give our most loving Father every happiness and every divine blessing. Already under the auspices of Your Most Illustrious and Reverend Excellency, poor Africa has two Institutes which care for its true welfare: and it is about to have another in a few days.
[1906]
It might have been said by some that we live in listless sloth, but under your protection we have already been able to send four poor souls to heaven, while others are preparing for it in meritorious lives which might otherwise have been sinful lives. Others are hoping through their education and efforts to attain the grace of Baptism, whereas before they went through life as though it were the greatest misfortune. If God, as we pray, will grant Your Excellency as prosperous a health, vigour, activity and zeal as you have had in the last two years, who knows how many greater benefits this will bring to our too wretched Africa? We therefore wish and pray that all this may be granted to Your Most Illustrious and Reverend Excellency, together with all the many more things God can proffer for your true comfort and for the good of this Mission of ours to Africa.
[1907]
You will excuse us if our wishes reveal a little selfishness; but what the heart feels, the tongue speaks and we know that in congratulating you on the good you do to this poor Africa, we are doing something which pleases you, since the interest with which you undertook the patronage of its Regeneration shows that it is not the last of your paternal concerns. Ah! May God hear us as we long to congratulate you another day more joyfully still from some point on the Equator where, God willing, we shall be led after covering in our listless sloth the whole of wretched Africa in the name, the grace and the company of Jesus benefaciendo et sanando omnes (doing good and healing everyone). Besides, Monsignor, we in no way wish to exclude from these congratulations on your Saint’s day all the other subjects, indeed we refrain from specifying any of them because we want to include them all, internal and external, present and future, temporal and eternal; and we ask heaven to proffer all the graces and divine blessings on all the holy intentions and undertakings with which Your Excellency is concerned for the greater glory of God. May Your Most Illustrious and Reverend Excellency deign to accept these humble and due sentiments of ours together with the affection we send with them and, renewing your precious paternal blessing, believe in our complete reverence and deep respect as we kiss your sacred ring and have the honour of remaining

Your Most Illustrious and Reverend Excellency’s
most humble, obedient, respectful and grateful servants and sons

Fr Daniel Comboni
Stanislao Carcereri d.M.I.I. Apostolic Missionary
Bartolomeo Rolleri Apostolic Missionary
Giuseppe Franceschini d.M.I.I. Apostolic Missionary
Br Giacomo Rossi, Catechist
The two illiterate catechumens


[1908]
N.B. I received as guests in our Institute two holy Bishops from India, one a Capuchin, the other a Jesuit. They were most satisfied with the progress of the Institutes. The Capuchin Bishop, who comes from Cesena, spontaneously told me that he wants to speak to Barnabò to get the Propagation of the Faith to help me. The other, the Jesuit, who is Prussian, will speak to the Archbishop of Cologne and to the Association. I accompanied them to the Pyramids and they left, saying to Fr Pietro: “We have seen enough, we shall be sure to speak favourably”. I told them of the hardships: but I treated them well. The Capuchin is a model of humility: the Jesuit is a distinguished man.


The letter is in another hand: the post-scriptum is by Comboni who dated the letter 10/6 69 at the end.

[1909]
I beg Your Most Reverend Excellency’s extreme bounty to forgive me for having taken so long to write, as I should have done. On the 29th I received your venerable letter containing the letter of credit for 1,000 francs, which was the complement of the allocation of 5,000 francs granted me by the Propagation of the Faith for 1868, thanks to Your Most Reverend Eminence’s most charitable intercession; and I thank you a thousand times for it.
[1910]
I equally received your most venerable missive in which you deign to grant me permission to open the aforementioned school experimentally. Even before this Fr Pietro and I had made careful research in order to find a small appropriate house: but of all those we were shown, we gave our preference to the Holy Land house alongside the Parish Residence, because it is closer and under the eye of Fr Pietro. Since this house needed considerable repairs, we committed ourselves totally to this work, and the work is almost finished, so that by next week Mother Caterina will be able to move in with a few African girls and open the school.
[1911]
With the next French steamer, God willing, Sister Maria Defiche will leave for Marseilles. The Mother Assistant of the Hospital wanted to make her the Superior of our Institute in Old Cairo. With great patience, calm and silence we were able to convince the Mother Assistant to free us of this old crock, who was not at all appropriate for our Work. Since Mother Assistant would certainly not be pleased that I should speak of this to Your Excellency, I tell you this confidentially because nothing should be hidden from our most venerable Father and pastor. In due course I will give you a detailed account of all the reasons which induced me to have the Sister sent away, the main one being that she lacked religious spirit. I infinitely thank Your Excellency for the great bounty, indulgence and charity you show us. We shall try to respond with all our commitment. As soon as the work on the new house is finished, I will write to you about everything, about what we agree with Fr Pietro and about the starting of the school. I send you filial regards from all of us, who are all very well. We ask for your holy blessing, especially for your most humble and devoted son,

Fr Daniel Comboni

[1912]
As your name day approaches, I must obey my heart’s command and send you my most sincere wishes, in which I am delighted to wish you true and eternal happiness. If the infernal powers unleashed against the Bride of Christ have dealt your heart a tremendous blow with the iniquitous law of 7th July 1866, the Lord will prepare for you new and more superabundant consolations in due time when you will see the religious edifice which cost you so much care and effort emerge more flourishing and brighter still. Not the least of these consolations will be to see quite soon (that is the object of my fervent aspirations) a new house of St Camillus emerge in the classic land of Egypt, which will be the home base for the generous Mission the sons of St Camillus will establish to save millions of souls in the African interior from the claws of the dragon of the abyss. Our two dear Stanislao and Franceschini, who are true sons of St Camillus, yearn for no other goal than this. While the Lord has preserved in their hearts the pure spirit of the great saint their founder, he has also given them that of my beloved St Francis Xavier. They are called by God to be Camillian missionaries for Africa.
[1913]
The more difficult and vast the enterprise is, the more it is worthy of their souls, their hearts and their heroic camillian vocation. I trust therefore, dear Father, that you and the most wise and venerated Fr Guardi, moved by God and St Camillus, will support this Work by gradually preparing new elements and individuals to come to the rescue of Africa and by sending frequent blessings to these two beloved brothers of mine. If the appearance of a few clouds in Rome at Propaganda has ruffled the spirit of some people, it has in no way shaken the spirit of these two sons of yours and brothers of mine. Since they know from experience that Christ’s treaties are more secure than the treaties of sovereigns of this world, than that of 1815, that of 1856 and even the Convention of 15th September 1864, etc., etc., they have preferred to sign the treaty of petite et accipietis, pulsate et aperietur vobis with the appropriate clauses of faith, trust, the glory of God, etc. Now we pray and will always pray for this purpose; and we are certain and sure of obtaining results, because Christ is a gentleman. Please offer my respects to Fr Bresciani, Fr Perretti, Fr Tomelleri and everyone and Br Bonzanini, to whom I ask to pray for our intention, and affectionately kissing your hand I remain,

Your most humble and devoted

Fr Daniel Comboni

[1914]
I cannot find adequate words to express my own and my companions’ sincere and deep gratitude to Your Most Reverend Excellency for sending me the letter from the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda and for your venerated letter of the 13th of this month, which is a new monument of your incomparable charity towards us. Taking up your prudent thought that my companions and I should take time and properly mature the answers that I must give to all the points on which Your Excellency deigns to ask me to provide full and exact information, I now limit myself to declaring the following:
1. That within the next 20 days we shall all be leaving the Bahhri house in which we currently reside and, with the full approval of our most venerable Fr Pietro, the male Institute will be housed in a small house located a few hundred paces away from the premises of the female Institute, directed by the Sisters of St Joseph.

[1915]
2. That I have never taken any steps with the illustrious Camillian Order. However, it has been apparent for some time that developments in Rome seem to lead me to the conclusion that it might perhaps be appropriate for me to do so at a later stage: but only when Your Most Reverend Excellency deems this convenient and will approve after mature reflection what we are about to propose to you in our ever increasing concern for the good of the African apostolate.
[1916]
3. That the Bishop of Verona, as far as I know, has never made any advances to the aforesaid Order. All I know is that, on the basis of his verbal agreement with His Holiness Pius IX himself, on the Pontifical Rescript of 5th July 1867, known to Your Excellency, which allowed the Fathers Carcereri, Tezza and Franceschini to dedicate themselves to our Work, and in his capacity as Apostolic Visitor to the Lombardy-Venetia Province of the Ministers to the Sick, he had to deal with the Most Reverend Fr Guardi in order to ensure that the Pontifical Rescript could have its full effect as regards the most worthy Fr Tezza.
[1917]
For the rest, I place all my trust in God, who was equally wise in creating the Universe and in making the Cross, that strengthened by Your Most Reverend Excellency’s most powerful and generous support, we will succeed in vanquishing all these obstacles which Providence in her infinite love has allowed us to be encumbered with, and that under the wing of your valid patronage, encouraged by the Cross of Jesus Christ, one day we shall see our Work established on firm and solid foundations.
[1918]
On the recurrence of your name day, the feast of St Louis Gonzaga, we will be pleased specially to invoke on Your Most Reverend Excellency’s venerable head the spiritual and temporal blessings of the Giver of all good. We will offer the Divine Sacrifice, and the Sisters and African girls will receive Holy Communion for our most venerable and beloved Father, to whose courageous charity, after God, our small Institutes owe their existence and conservation. While I also interpret my companions’ sentiments, I implore you to grant us your pastoral blessing, and respectfully kissing your holy ring, I have the honour of declaring myself in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Your Most Reverend Excellency’s most humble, devoted and unworthy son

Fr Daniel Comboni, Apostolic Missionary


[1919]
P.S. Our good Franciscan Mother Caterina Valerio joins us in wishing you a most happy feast on your name day, as does our dear Fr Pietro. I take the liberty of enclosing two other letters, one from the Mother Superior and the other from the African girls; and yet another for the most worthy Fr Guardiano of Alexandria.

[1920]
Since the expedition I had the honour of mentioning in my last letter is going to be postponed to the end of the year, I think it appropriate to tell Your Most Reverend Highness to send the African girl from the Ursuline nuns as soon as you like, even immediately. I only ask Your Most Reverend Highness to let me know a week in advance when she will be leaving Trieste so that I can send two of my Sisters to meet her in Alexandria.
[1921]
I am writing to the Superior of the Benedictines, Maria Michela, to give her the necessary instructions for the good African girl’s journey.

I implore of your bounty the grace of praying and having prayers said for the Work of the Conversion of central Africa. In only 18months God has given me the grace to found three small Institutes, which are already gaining good conversions: I hope it is truly God’s work. I kiss your sacred ring and have the honour of signing in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, asking for your holy blessing, Your Most Reverend Highness’s most humble, obedient and devoted servant

Fr Daniel Comboni

Apostolic Missionary, Superior of the Institutes for Africans

[1922]
I have just written to His Most Reverend Highness for him to send the African girl to Egypt immediately since the expedition of which I had written to you will not be taking place until later. You must write to our zealous agent for the Missions in Trieste, Signor Luigi Napoli, commander of the St Gregory the Great, so that he commends the African girl to the Lloyd’s captain and to some pious lady or some Sister as far as Alexandria, where the Egyptian Sisters will go to meet her and bring her to my Institute in Cairo. It is essential that I should know this one week before the African girl’s departure from Trieste. The Lloyd Austriaco steamers leave Trieste every Sunday for Alexandria. Now to a few necessary details.
[1923]
I am most grateful for your prayers and the offering you have promised me. You will be able to do a great service to my Mission, which is one of the missions of Catholicism, if you can raise some help for me from distinguished benefactors, such as Her Majesty the Empress Carolina, the Convent of the Ursulines where Giuseppina is, etc. You know that here in Egypt, I have three very important Institutes:
1. The Institute of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (male missionaries)
2. The Institute of the Sacred Heart of Mary (Sisters of St Joseph)
3. The Institute of the Holy Family, which I founded recently and where there is a school attended by many schismatics, Muslims and infidels and where the African women teachers teach the Catholic religion.

[1924]
For all that, as well as the Verona Seminary for the Missions to Africa and the Africans, this poor Fr Comboni, who is often in great difficulty, has to provide. Therefore I commend myself to your intercession. In the Eternal Father’s beard there are many gold Napoleons. Jesus Christ has always kept his word: he said “Ask and you shall receive”. Well, we pray tirelessly that your intercession and your prayers may be effective. Give my greetings to all your religious Daughters and I commend myself to their incessant prayers. Remember that our sacred bond is founded in the Heart of Jesus and has been consecrated by the life and sacrifice of our dear Petronilla, to whom you gave the spiritual life which I preserved carefully until I had to present her to the throne of God.
With every greeting from,

Your most devoted Fr Daniel Comboni
It would be good if His Most Reverend Highness also gave the African girl a recommendation to the Bishop of Trieste who is very kind.


Translation from the French.

[1925]
I am taking a lucky chance to send my greetings to you and all the members of S. Carlo and Canterane. After I left Verona, I wrote twice to the Institute, but no one gave me any news. I miss this greatly in the loss of Fr Dalbosco who gave me frequent information about my old dear ones. Tell Fr Pogiani that I shall soon remember him and Hans; and please remind Fr Tomba and Fr Beltrame of the promise they made me to send me the copy of the journey we made on theWhite Nile. Promissio boni viri, est obbl…Remember to give my cordial regards to the generous and good Morelli family, and assure that gentleman that I have not forgotten him for a single day.
[1926]
As for me and my work, I will tell you I have suffered a lot, enjoyed a lot and worked a lot, and that the Lord sends blessings before my eyes. What gives me immense consolation is the third Institute I have just founded at the order of His MostReverend Excellency the Archbishop of Irenopoli and Apostolic Delegate in Egypt. It is an Institute which does great good to the 25,000 inhabitants of Old Cairo. This girls’ school directed by Mother Caterina Valerio with the help of 4 African teachers, one of whom is Domitilla, is attended by youths of all religions, even Muslims, who learn the catechism and Christian morality.
[1927]
Apart from the work the African teachers do, this school has made a great impression in Cairo because the teachers are African: it is a means to raise the reputation of the black race which is downtrodden by all. I will not mention the frequent conversions and the souls that are sent to heaven every week or are converted by the work of the three Institutes to which I have given the following names:
1. The male Institute of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
2. The female Institute of the Sacred Heart of Mary
3. The Institute of the Holy Family.

[1928]
From last February until yesterday I have calculated that I spent 116,000 piastres in numerous gold Napoleons. I have the consolation of being protected by the eminent Archbishop, our Apostolic Delegate in Cairo who, seeing their fruits, is very fond of all three Institutes and has defended them against the attacks and wars waged against them by evil-minded people who went as far as to persecute me at Propaganda and even with the Pope. But I am like that German who said: “You get back; and the wall, too!”. Christ’s treaties are more firm and secure than the treaties of all the sovereigns of the world; therefore the petite et accipietis etc. is more solid than the treaties of Vienna, Paris, London, Nikolsburg, Prague and even the Convention of 15th September. Atqui more than 200 Monasteries and Institutes are praying for the success of my Work; ergo sic therefore I shall succeed in it, and no power in the world, not even Satan, will be able to put me down… Do I or don’t I know that cursed philosophy??…But I have at my side a pillar in Fr Stanislao Carcereri, who understands my plan better than I understand it myself and who has a constancy and a spirit that Propaganda would never find an equal to. May God preserve him for me!…
[1929]
Give my greetings to Fr Tomba, Fr Beltrame, that s… of a Fr Pogiani, Filipozzi, the parish priest of S. Stefano, Fr Guella, Signor Luigi, Fr Aldegheri, everyone, everyone, Betta, Rubelli, etc. Receive the regards of the African girls, who send them specially; pray for my Institutes and for,

Your most affectionate friend in the Lord

Fr Daniel

I have been visited by two Bishops from India, one of whom is the Jesuit Bishop of Bombay: I had them to stay for two days and took them to the Pyramids. Being most satisfied with the progress of the Institutes they intend to speak about them to the Pope and Propaganda. Today I have three Bishops in the House, one from India and two from China.