September 9: Saint Peter Claver
“Slave of the slaves”
For 40 years, in the 17th century. he dedicated himself entirely to teaching, baptizing, and accompanying the enslaved people of Africa who arrived in South America. His devotion was so complete that he called himself the “slave of the slaves,” serving with humility and charity. He is Saint Peter Claver, who lived the Gospel to the fullest, at the service of those whom society at the time considered chattel, not even true human beings.
Peter Claver was born in Verdú, Spain, on June 26, 1580. In 1596, he enrolled at the University of Barcelona, where he began his classical studies. On August 7, 1602, he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Tarragona. Two years later, on August 8, 1604, he professed his religious vows in the Society of Jesus. He later moved to Palma de Mallorca and, on November 11, 1605, began studying philosophy at the Jesuit-run College of Montesión in Mallorca. During this time, he met Br. Alphonsus Rodriguez (later to be canonized a Saint), the porter of the College. This encounter inspired in him the desire for a missionary life, directly dedicated to evangelization.
Even before completing his theological studies, in 1610, Claver was sent to Cartagena de Indias, an important Caribbean port on the coast of Colombia. There he was ordained a priest in 1616 and remained in the coastal city for the rest of his life assisting the African slaves who arrived in terrible conditions after long voyages.
Cartagena was one of the few Spanish ports authorized to receive slaves. He reached them at the docks with food collected through alms, visited them on the ships and cared especially for the sick, tending their wounds and speaking to them about God with the help of interpreters.
Because the slaves remained only a few days, Claver hastened to prepare them for baptism. He baptized thousands. He also frequently visited hospitals, including those for lepers and helped English and Dutch prisoners of war.
In 1650, he fell ill and lived with the illness for four years. He died on September 9, 1654. He was beatified on July 16, 1850, by Pope Pius IX and canonized on January 15, 1888, by Pope Leo XIII. On July 7, 1896, he was declared Patron of all Catholic missions among Africans.