Maria Teresa Scandola was an Italian missionary nun of the Comboni Missionary Sisters who lived from 1849 to 1903. Born in Bosco Chiesanuova, she became the second member of the religious order founded by Daniel Comboni to support his evangelization efforts in Central Africa. After joining the novitiate in Verona, she traveled to Africa as one of the first European women to serve in that region. She dedicated her life to the spiritual and educational development of children in what is now South Sudan.
Life and mission
After meeting Daniel Comboni, Scandola joined his newly established institute to help fulfill his vision for female missionaries. She traveled to Africa in 1872, focusing her work on teaching and supporting children in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. In 1903, she moved to Lul on the White Nile to begin a new assignment, where she studied the local Shilluk language to better serve the community.
Death and veneration
Scandola died in Lul in 1903, having offered her life for a fellow missionary priest. Her cause for beatification was moved to the Diocese of Verona, where she was eventually named a Servant of God. In 2014, Pope Francis recognized her heroic virtue, granting her the title of Venerable. A miracle linked to her intercession has been presented for investigation by the Church.