St. Peter Claver: The Patron Saint of African-Americans and Apostle to the Slaves
•Priest
•Feast day: September 9
•1580-1654
St. Peter Claver was born in Verdu, Catalonia, Spain, on June 26, 1580. Coming from a humble farming family, he was raised with strong Christian values. At the age of 20, he entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in Tarragona with a burning desire to serve God and a special ambition to become a missionary in the New World.
After completing his studies, Peter Claver was sent to the prosperous port city of Cartagena in present-day Colombia, which was a principal slave trade center in the Americas. He was ordained a priest there in 1616. Immediately, he dedicated himself to the African slaves, who were forcibly brought to the New World under inhumane conditions.
Peter Claver declared himself “the slave of the negroes forever,” a statement that guided his life’s mission. When slave ships arrived in Cartagena, Claver would board the vessels with interpreters and assistants, bringing food, medicine, and comfort to the enslaved Africans, many of whom were sick and dying. He also provided them with much-needed pastoral care, reminding his followers, “We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips.”
Peter Claver not only attended to their physical needs but also introduced them to Christianity. Over his lifetime, he is said to have baptized more than 300,000 slaves. His compassion extended beyond the ports. He followed the slaves to plantations and mines, advocating for their humane treatment and spiritual well-being. His ministry wasn’t limited to the slaves alone—he also reached out to the merchants, sailors, and plantation owners, urging them to recognize the humanity and dignity of the people they exploited.
In addition to his work with the slaves, Peter Claver engaged in prison ministry, offering spiritual comfort to the imprisoned and ensuring that no one faced execution in Cartagena without receiving the sacraments. His dedication was such that he often spent up to 15 hours a day hearing confessions, and he preached wherever people would listen, whether in churches, marketplaces, or the streets.
Despite his tireless efforts, St. Peter Claver’s later years were marked by neglect and poverty. Suffering from illness, he spent the last four years of his life bedridden, often forgotten by those around him. He died on September 8, 1654, almost unnoticed, but his legacy as a champion of the oppressed and marginalized lived on.
St. Peter Claver was canonized in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII, who also declared him the patron saint of missionary work among African-Americans. His feast day is celebrated on September 9. His life remains a powerful testament to the impact one person can have in the fight for justice, dignity, and faith.
