Saintly Saturday - St. Peter Claver


St. Peter Claver was born in Spain on June 26, 1581. In 1610, as a young Jesuit priest, he left his homeland on a missionary trip to Cartagena, Columbia...part of The New World. Slave trading had been well under way for 100 years & Cartagena was the center for it. Yearly, around 10,000 slaves arrived in port from West Africa under horrible conditions. Nearly 1/3 of them lost their lives on the voyage.

Upon his arrival, St. Peter Claver continued the work of Jesuit Father Alfonso de Sandoval ministering to the slaves, providing them with medications & first aid, food, tobacco. He shared with them the love of God, through words & his actions. In his 40 years of missionary work, he baptized an estimated 300,000 slaves. 

Beyond the care of slaves, he also preached & led missions in the city & country. While staying in the country regions, he chose to lodge in slave quarters as opposed to the luxury of the plantation owners' homes. 

St. Peter Claver died in September 8, 1654 after a four year illness. The citizens of Cartagena honored him, burying him at their expense.

He was canonized in 1888. He is the patron saint of slaves, African missions, & interracial justice. We celebrate his feast day on September 9th.

St. Peter Claver, Pray for Us!

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