In 1846 Pope Gregory XVI established the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa, aiming at converting Africans to Christianity, bringing Christian assistance to European traders and officials in Africa, and combating the slave trade. The participation of the Verona Fathers dates from 1872, when Propaganda Fide authorized the Institute for African Missions of Verona to direct the mission to Central Africa and appointed Daniele Comboni as Pro-Vicar Apostolic.

Conditions in Africa, official mission goals, and Comboni's own policy shaped the observations and reactions of the missionaries to their African surroundings. Difficulties of supply and transportation, as well as their self-imposed obligation to minister to the Europeans, forced the early missionaries to associate with the motley assortment of local traders, especially along the White Nile and in Khartoum. Keen observations and sharp indictments of much of European activity, particularly the slave trade, resulted. Early in his career, Comboni had formulated the concept of converting Africa by using Africans as proselytizers. In their work in the mission field, Comboni and his followers generally reacted to African societies neither by ignoring them nor by objectively collecting ethnographies, but rather by evaluating their possibilities and potential in providing the environment and personnel for mission activity.

Records concerning the activity of the Verona Fathers have been collected at Missionari Comboniani, via Luigi Lilio 80, CP. 10733, 00143 Rome. Most of the material is in Italian and German, with occasional English translations, and deals with the southern and central Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Egypt.