Writings

[5816]

Please excuse me for my silence: I am troubled by fevers; and in Verona, more than 300 letters have remained without answers. My last fever ended last night.
In general: I would be glad if you came as a doctor to visit Kordofan and Jebel Nuba with me. You can be certain of that. As for the rest of your projects like the Wadai, etc., I could give you excellent advice; but at the moment I am too weak. If you were to come to Verona next week, or to Limone on the Thursday of this week, we could discuss the matter. To come to Limone, you just have to be at Desenzano by 3:50 p.m.; by the evening, you would be here at my home in Limone.

[5817]

On the other hand, as long as you still want to come with me in principle, should you wish to come to Verona next week, I will send you a postcard to let you know the day I am getting to Verona. That would be best because I would be in a better state. Here, I am trying to recover my health.
In any case, please remember that I shall always regard you as my friend forever.
Your most affectionate

+ Daniel Comboni, Bishop

[5818]

As I am weak, please write on my behalf to the Rubattino Company, asking them to grant me the privilege that it grants all Italian travellers; that is, my Missionaries, my Sisters and my craftsmen, whether in 3rd or 2nd class, a 50% discount on their journeys (and for the luggage as well) from Genoa or Leghorn to Alexandria, from Genoa to Suakim, including the transfer at Suez and from Suez to Suakim.

[5819]

If it grants this privilege, please ask the Company to inform the Suez agent immediately, because Missionaries and Sisters (7 or 8 of them) will be leaving Suez for Suakim in ten days’ time and on the 24th, 7 will be leaving Genoa for Alexandria or Suez.
Answer me quickly at Limone on Lake Garda.

[5820]

Having been called to Rome to confer with Mgr Lavigerie, Archbishop of Algiers about Nyanza Victoria, etc., I caught a few more fevers. I came to Limone sul Garda, where I solemnly consecrated the parish church in which I was baptised and had another two bad bouts of fever. In a word, there are fevers even in Italy, one dies even in Italy.

[5821]

On the contrary, since my departure from Khartoum in March to this day, everyone on the mission has been in good health.
On Saturday of next week, 4 Sisters, 3 Missionaries and several lay helpers will be leaving from Cairo for Khartoum via Suakin on the Red Sea. And next week, 2 Sisters, one Missionary and five excellent lay brothers will be leaving Verona for Cairo. Meanwhile, in Kordofan 15 adults were solemnly baptised, and the agricultural colony at Malbes is really productive. The new Missionaries will go to Jebel Nuba.

[5822]

Yes: the Heart of Jesus will convert Africa, and we will all die to achieve this. What a little thing it is for us to offer our lives to Jesus, when Jesus died for us: the blood shed for Jesus is our glory and comfort.

[5823]

I am in a bind with Vienna (Steiner) to whom I wrote little; but he wrote to me. A thousand thanks for your offerings. May God be with you always (I shall certainly visit you before leaving for Africa): I am settling things down in Verona which had been badly mismanaged by Fr Paolo Rossi, who has gone away and is now the curate of the Parish Priest of Cadidavid.
Always pray for
Your most affectionate and eternal friend

+ Daniel,
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

A thousand greetings to your fellow Canons and all the people I know, etc., etc.

[5824]

I, N… N…, of my own free will, undertake under oath before God, to be of perpetual service to the Mission of Central Africa, under the obedience of the Very Reverend Bishop and Vicar Apostolic for the time being, and of the legitimate immediate Superiors, and I promise under oath to serve it perpetually in the places and duties obedience assigns to me, without ever retreating from this my firm intent, not even in the face of death, abandoning myself entirely to divine Providence under the guidance and commands of the Superiors. In faith to this, I sign.

Verona, from the Institute of the Missions for Africa.

Signatures of the Brothers:

Composta Angelo – Mariani Gabriele – Marconi Pietro – Cuati Lorenzo – Beber Giuseppe.


N.B. Written by Comboni.

[5825]

A fortnight ago, I received a letter from Cav. Hansal, Austrian Consul, Consular Agent for France, England and Germany in Khartoum from which I quote the following passage: “H.E. Emin Bey, Governor of the White Nile and the Equator, has asked me to inform you that the French Missionaries from Algeria, whom I recommended to you, have now been at Rubaga with King M’tesa for two weeks”.

[5826]

He thinks these Missionaries will not be able to stay there long; this despot does not like foreigners. The English Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society have had to abandon M’tesa’s kingdom and the Governor was expecting them about twenty days later in Ladò, a station three days’ journey to the north of Gondokoro on the White Nile.

[5827]

It may be providential that the English ministers are no longer at Rubaga, because our dear confreres, the Missionaries of Algiers, will find it easier to establish themselves there. Let us pray.

+ Daniel Comboni

Translated from French.

[5828]

Since I have been very tired on account of the tribulations and calamities of Central Africa where since last year I spent 14 months never sleeping one hour at a stretch, less than one hour in any day and night of 24 hours, and I was ill, etc., etc., I came to Europe and prostrated myself at the feet of His Holiness Leo XIII, who gave me great consolation, etc. Since that day, for three months I was tormented by fevers; now I am better, and after reorganising my Institute in Verona (indeed, Fr Paolo Rossi was not a good administrator: he no longer belongs to my Institute, but has returned home where he is curate in his parish of Cadidavid in the Diocese of Verona), I shall be returning to Central Africa.
We have greatly suffered, but our apostolate, by God’s grace, has saved quite a large number of pagans, making them share in the Passion of Jesus Christ; our zeal to sacrifice our lives for Christ and the Africans is ever increasing.

[5829]

During the months of July and August, worn out by fevers, I thought I would die in Europe; I was very distressed and ashamed of dying in Europe, because a soldier must die fighting on the battlefield. But now I am happy because I hope to recover my health sufficiently to be able to return to Central Africa soon.
On All Souls Day, 14 missionaries, that is, 5 Sisters and 9 priests and craftsmen, left from these Verona Institutes. Eight priests and brothers will also be leaving our Cairo Institutes for Khartoum, sailing from Suez via the Red Sea.

[5830]

But my Vicariate is immense. I am consumed by the ardent desire that you, dear friend, may send to Central Africa for my Mission both priests and clerics (those whose vocation for the missions you have already experienced and upon whom I shall confer Major Orders titulo missionis; however, in Egypt they will study Arabic, which is as necessary for us as theology) and skilled brothers. If you will grant me all those you have, I shall be very glad to accept them.

[5831]

In Central Africa, well-trained Brother craftsmen are of greater benefit to our apostolate than the Priests who pursue conversions, because the African pupils and neophytes (most of whom, either to learn a trade or to work, must spend quite a long time with the “masters” and the “craftsmen” who, by their example and words, are the true apostles of the pupils) work alongside the lay Brothers, and they observe them and listen to them more than they can ever observe and listen to the Priests.

[5832]

Therefore, dearest friend, send me a fair number of Priests, thoroughly tested Clerics, and lay Brothers who, according to your judgement and prudence, are well trained. I shall accept them all, either in my Institutes in Cairo or in the Nuba territory where the climate is quite good. I will receive them today or tomorrow, but you must give them to me and not send them to the Chinese peoples where there are quite a few religious Orders, whereas Central Africa has none. I expect your answer within the week; then I shall see to everything.

[5833]

If you allocate a fair number to me, I shall see whether it is more appropriate to send them to Cairo from Genoa, Trieste or Naples. If it is Naples, I will present them to the Supreme Pontiff, Leo XIII, as I did in July, when I presented 5 Sisters, 3 Missionaries and 2 Lay Brothers to the Supreme Pontiff. Answer me.

[5834]

As regards the Sisters, give precise and clear news because I heard nothing about them when I was with you.
You know that I founded the Institute of the Devout Mothers of Africa in Verona, and it is thriving. Fifteen Sisters from this Institute are already working with great zeal in Central Africa.
Tell me about yours: what is their Rule? Because there is room for them too in Africa. Should they prefer to join the Institute of the Devout Mothers of Africa (since they have already been approved by you), all the better. But this is up to you.

[5835]

Again, I beg you to write to me immediately.
With all my heart I bless you, the Priests, the seminarians, the students, the novices and the postulants. I bless also the Lay Brothers of your most pious Institute as well as the devout Sisters, your house and theirs, your holy wishes and your health, that you may educate in the sweetest Hearts of Jesus and Mary very many apostles for the salvation of the whole world, and particularly that of the most unhappy Africans.
Keep well and grant me your favour.
Your most affectionate

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

[5836]

I send you three photographs of the three Mother Superiors in Central Africa of my Verona Institute of the Devout Mothers of Africa.
If you have any vocations send them to me. Yesterday I received a French girl as a postulant. Take care of yourself.


Translated from Latin.

N.B. This letter is preceded by a letter in German, written by another hand and without a signature at the end. Here is the translation:

Dearest friend,

[5837]

The storm has passed, the waters have grown calm, the star of hope again shines in the sky; for that reason I am grateful for the condolences I have received from Steyl, since I can enjoy them calmly.
However, now we have to fill the gaps, replace the brave warriors who have fallen, so as to be able to pursue the battle that has started against the prince of darkness. I have always followed the development of your cause with interest, because I have always nourished the sweet hope that it might one day become a true blessing for unhappy Central Africa. Ever since the first missionaries left for China, I have wanted to turn to you to beg you not to forget our vast mission.

[5838]

Seeing that you can count on quite a considerable number of students, I would now like to do what I failed to do then, and ask you to grant me as many of your valiant sons as possible.
I am ready to accept Priests, teachers and craftsmen immediately. I would send them, after testing them of course, either to Cairo for a little while, or even directly to Jebel Nuba to join all the forces fighting for the spread of the faith.
As I anxiously wait for my wishes to be granted, I look forward impatiently to your kind communication, and remain your sincerely devoted friend.

[5839]

Last May when I travelled via Jeddah (the Arabian port which is an eight-hour journey from Mecca), the Consular Agent or chargé of the French Consulate there, Mr Alessandro Luciana, a devout and upright man, entreated me to negotiate with Rome for a permanent Missionary to be sent to Jeddah for his own family and the very few Catholics who frequent this port.

[5840]

After hearing the opinion of the most excellent Mgr Ciurcia, Vicar and Delegate Apostolic of Egypt, we came to the conclusion that as Jeddah is under the jurisdiction of the Prefect Apostolic of Aden, that Prefecture cannot be expected to provide it with a missionary, because it is quite out of touch; thus I have decided humbly to submit to Your Eminence my opinion on the possible practical measures to provide for that forlorn place at the lowest possible cost and with the most probable certainty of service.

[5841]

It would seem to me that a missionary from Suez (or better still, a priest from the Seminary for the African Missions of Lyons, established in Zagazig in Egypt) could go twice a year from Suez to Jeddah using the Austro-Hungarian Lloyd line, which sails from Suez to Jeddah for the pilgrims to Mecca. It would be enough for the Sacred Congregation to write to Trieste asking for the Lloyd Agent in Suez to grant a free passage to the missionary or Missionaries to Jeddah and for the return to Suez.

[5842]

Should you like this proposal, Your Most Reverend Eminence could delegate the Vicar Apostolic of Egypt to grant the necessary faculties to the missionary.
I add that such a provision would be opportune now that the titular French Vice-Consul has returned. Like Signor Luciana, who is the titular dragoman, he is a devout and religious man.
I kiss your Sacred Purple and remain in deepest veneration
Your Most Reverend Eminence’s most humble, obedient and respectful son

+ Daniel Comboni,
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

[5843]

P.S. Since my departure from Rome I have hardly spent a single week without a fever; but I hope they will leave me altogether and that I shall be able to see to all my business so as to return to my post.
I wrote to you from Africa that I had warmly commended the Missionaries of Algiers to my friend, His Excellency Emin Bey, Governor of the White Nile and the Equator. It is now a fortnight since I received the following dispatch from Cavaliere Hansal, the Imperial Royal Austro-Hungarian Consul in Khartoum:

[5844]

“Doctor Emin Bey has asked me to warn Your ‘Monsignoria’ (sic), that the French Missionaries have reached Rubaga in the land of King M’tesa. It appears that they are not on good terms with this despot, because the English who settled there have already retreated; at least, Emin Bey was expecting them in Ladò near Gondokoro" (where I was 21 years ago).
Perhaps the retreat of the Anglicans of the Church Missionary Society from M’tesa’s kingdom will facilitate the task of our able Missionaries of Algiers because our men have God’s grace, are guided by God and God wants these people to be saved. Rather what has given me food for thought was what Mgr Lavigerie, Archbishop of Algiers told me, which is that his expedition to Nyanza Victoria cost 600,000 francs (six hundred thousand)!!! Will the successors of the venerable Lavigerie be able to sustain such high costs?… I do hope so, but I doubt it.

[5845]

On the 8th of this month, 14 people left the African Institutes in Verona for Egypt. These included 5 Sisters from my Institute of the Devout Mothers of Africa. This caravan reached Cairo safely.
My Institutes for Missionaries and of the Devout Mothers of Africa are really thriving.
My former secretary Fr Paolo Rossi has retired to his home and no longer belongs to my Institute. He is not even in good health.
Your most humble son

+ Bishop Daniel