September 9
Saint Peter Claver
Priest, “The Saint of the Slaves”
(1580 – 1654)
“To do the will of God, man must despise his own; the more he dies to himself, the more he will live to God.”
Saint Peter Claver
Saint’s Life Story
His Early Studious Life
Peter was born in June 26, 1580, in Verdu, Catalonia, Spain into a devoutly Catholic farming family. He studied at the University of Barcelona and joined the Jesuits at the age of twenty at Tarragona. He studied further at Montesione College at Palma, Majorca and was greatly influenced by Saint Alphonus Rodriguez who convinced him to embark on missionary labors in the New World and save “millions of those perishing souls” (Hoever).
Missionary Priest in Columbia
After further study at Barcelona, Peter was sent on a missionary to Cartagena in present day Columbia in 1610 and was ordained around 1615. Cartagena was an important center of slave trade and Peter found large number of West African sales who had been brought to the Americas to work in the Spanish colonies. Peter joined up Father Alfonse de Sandovel in trying to alleviate the horrible conditions of the slaves who poured into the city. These conditions were so deplorable that Peter dedicated himself by a special vow to the service of the slaves.
Served Slaves
Boarding the slave ships as they entered the harbor, he would hurry to the bowels of the ship, and offer whatever refreshments he could afford and care for the sick and dying, before administering the sacraments. Peter worked in the yards where the slaves were penned after being disembarked from the West Africa. He ministered to them with food and medicine and instructed them in the faith. Peter pleaded with the owners to improve the slave’s conditions and visited plantations around Cartagena to make sure the few laws for the protection of the slaves were enforced. He also encouraged these newly converted slaves to live as Christians. During his efforts. he endured humiliation and resistance from local officials who did not like the changes Peter was trying to bring about.
His Death
Even after Peter was stricken with the plague and was ill, he continued his works on a much-reduced scale until his death on September 8, 1654 in Cartegena, Colombia. Through Peter’s efforts, it is estimated that 300,000 Africans were baptized and 5,000 confessions per year were heard over his 40 years of service to the slave community.
Born: June 26, 1580, in Verdu, Catalonia, Spain
Died: September 8, 1654 in Cartegena, Colombia
Beatified: July 20, 1850 by Pope Pius IX
Canonized: January 15, 1888 by Pope Leo XIII
Feast Day: September 9
Patron Saint: Against Slavery; Ministry to African-Americans; Columbia; Slaves
Reflection
Saint Peter Claver joined the Jesuit order and later felt a deep calling to missionary work in the Americas. Arriving in Cartagena, Columbia, a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade, he encountered the brutal realities faced by enslaved Africans. Peter Claver’s response to this profound suffering was not one of despair, but of action. He vowed to be “a slave of the slaves forever,” dedicating his life to ministering to the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those who were brutally uprooted from their homelands.
Are there people, or groups of people, in your life or your community who are often despised and looked down on? How could you more fully love them as Saint Peter Claver loved the slaves?
Prayers
Saint Peter Claver,
You who were called to be the servant of the most abandoned, the protector of the oppressed, and the voice for the voiceless,
Intercede for us, that we may have the courage to stand up against injustice, racism, and oppression in our own time.
Grant us the grace to see the dignity of every person and to act with kindness and mercy toward those in need.
Help us to follow your example of selfless love and compassion, serving those who were enslaved, bringing them comfort, hope, and the message of the Gospel.
May we one day share with you the joy of eternal life in heaven, in the company of all the saints.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
St. Peter Claver, pray for us! Amen.
Saint Links
All Saints & Martyrs – Saint Peter Claver
American Magazine – Who is St. Peter Claver?
AnaStpaul – Saint of the Day – 9 September – St Peter Claver S.J.
Catholic Culture – St Peter Claver
Catholic Exchange – St. Peter Claver (Priest and Missionary)
Catholic Fire – Saint of the Day: Saint Peter Claver
Catholic Ireland – Sep 10 – St Peter Claver died.1654) Saint of the slaves
Catholic News Agency – St. Peter Claver Feast Day: Sep 09
Cradio – St Peter Claver
Editions Magnificant – Saint Peter Claver Jesuit Missionary (1580-1654)
Franciscan Media – Saint Peter Claver
Independent Catholic News – St Peter Claver
Loyola Press – Saint Peter Claver Feast day September 9
Newman Ministry – Saint Peter Claver
Rev Alban Butler’s Lives Of The Saints Complete Edition – St Peter Claver
Saint for a Minute – Saint Peter Claver
Saint Mary’s Press -Saint Peter Claver (1581-1654)
Saint of the Day – September 9 St. Peter Claver
Saint Resources -St Peter Claver
uCatholic – St Peter Claver
Video Link
Saint Peter Claver – YouTube (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – USA)