Feast of St. Daniel Comboni at the Curia in Rome

The Comboni scholastics
of Casavatore (Naples – Italy)
animated the liturgy.
 

On the Anniversary
of the death
of St. Daniel Comboni

Reverend Superior General
Reverend Comboni Sisters,
Dear confreres,

In 1976 Fr. Tarcisio Agostoni, our superior general, sent me a letter to ask me to go to Zambia and open a dialogue with Church authorities there in view of opening some Comboni Missions.

Fr. Giuseppe Gusmini, Fr. Luigi Casagrande, Fr. Alberto Buffoni and myself went. We spoke with Bishop Nazombwe of Chipata and with Archbishop Milingo of Lusaka who soon accepted our presence and we took charge of three parishes. For certain, our confreres worked well and so Comboni missionary vocations began to flourish.

Titokose Mulungu chifukwa Alipo Anthu amene afuna Kukhala nawe pa religious Banja yatou chimodsi-modsi Justin, which means: “We thank God because there are people like Justin who want to be members of our religious family.”

On this occasion we are celebrating three events that are very significant for our religious family and for the missions, namely: the entry into Heaven of our Holy founder St. Daniel Comboni, who died on October 10, 1881; The 50^th anniversary of ordination of the class of 1966, with some of them being present here; and finally the perpetual profession of Justin Ndhlovu.

These three events are deeply interconnected. In fact, before dying, St. Daniel Comboni told some of his missionaries who were gathered around him as he prepared to enter into eternity: do not abandon your field of work, because I die, but my mission will not die.

A 50^th of priestly ordination and a perpetual profession are proof of the prophetic spirit of our founder. Even more, they give new strength to the certainty of St. Daniel that his vocation came from God and therefore, those who accept him as their guide are one with him in following his dedication to mission. These three events, that we are celebrating with joy and hope, must help us believe in, love and live our vocation with enthusiasm, following the example of St. Daniel Comboni of whom it has been said: “Daniel Comboni distinguished himself for his total dedication to the missionary cause of which he spoke, for which he worked, lived and died.” (RoL 2).

Comboni, just like Abraham, believed in and foresaw from afar the work of God, he rejoiced and worked to hasten the time when Africans would become part of this journey of salvation.

The certainty that his vocation was from God sustained him and helped him not to lose the way in the face of the difficulties, sorrows and uncertainties of the mission, but rather spurred him to give himself totally to the fulfillment of God’s will. In this environment of exemplar generosity we who are celebrating fifty years of service to the Church and to the world thank God for the vocation we received and for the good we were able to do. Therefore, we encourage this young candidate who is making today his perpetual profession to entrust himself, just like St. Daniel Comboni, to the open heart of the Good Shepherd, because he is the Way, the Truth and the Life, for him and for all the people he will meet in his missionary service.

Dear Justin Ndhlovu, it worthwhile to sacrifice all things in order to possess the treasure hidden in the field, namely Jesus Christ. He is the one who today, through the ministry of the Church and of the Institute, who accepts your vows for your own good and for the good of many people. We remind you that Jesus Christ called you to this vocation so that you may cooperate to the spiritual and material wellbeing of many people, since God wants everyone to be saved and that all may come to know the truth, Jesus Christ.

He is the Good Shepherd, as we heard in John’s Gospel, who gives his life for all his sheep, even those who are outside his fold and who, through the ministry of the Church, must become members of the flock of Jesus Christ.

The work of God is not easy, on the contrary it entails many crosses, but the presence of Jesus Christ helps all missionaries to conquer all difficulties and solve all problems. For this reason, you must always ask of God the gift of the Spirit that may help you to announce the Kingdom of God to the poor with all the good things it entails, to bind the wounds of broken hearts, to proclaim freedom to the slaves and the Year of the Lord’s Mercy.

With our best wishes, we pray that God may receive your consecration with joy. May the Blessed Mother and St. Daniel Comboni always be with you. Amen.

Perpetual profession of Justin Ndhlovu. Comboni missionary from Zambia.

Kneeling Justin Ndhlovu in front of Fr. Fermo Bernasconi, superior of the community of the student confreres, Bishop Jaime Salazar, and Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries.