Biography of saint peter claver feast

The U. Peter Claver was born in to a devout farming family in the Catalonia region of Spain. He attended the University of Barcelona as a young man before joining the Jesuits at the age of During his studies as a novice, Peter met and developed a friendship with Alphonsus Rodriguez, an older lay Jesuit brother who performed menial work but was renowned for his holiness and insight.

Leo XIII would later canonize both men on the same day, almost two centuries later. Taking the advice of Rodriguez, Peter volunteered for the new colonies, and arrived in Cartagena, a port city in present-day Colombia, in He continued his studies there and was ordained a priest in Cartagena in By that time, the African slave trade had already been in place for several decades in the Americas, for which Cartagena was a major hub.

While there, Peter witnessed the cruelty with which the slaves were treated firsthand. Moved by their suffering, Peter resolved to work to bring both bodily and spiritual aid to the slaves, vowing to be "the slave of the slaves forever.

Biography of saint peter claver feast: St. Peter Claver (born , Verdú,

As soon as a slave ship would enter the port, Peter would meet it in the harbor and board the ship to care for the terrified and poorly treated passengers on board, who had made the journey from Africa in diseased and cramped conditions over the course of several months. Once the ship arrived, Father Claver went door-to-door begging for food for his new flock.

He then brought his small band of African interpreters and charitable workers, entered the foul-smelling hull of the ship where he found many dead and others lifeless, filled with fear, and in need of medical treatment and compassion. As a sign of his love for them, he often kissed their sores, sucked out the infectious pus, and washed the wounds with his own handkerchiefs.

He would baptize any babies, provide food to the hungry, and demonstrate a depth of compassion that many had never seen. He then helped transport the slaves to a new location, carrying those who could not walk, where they could be well fed and regain their strength before being sold. His primary concern was the salvation of souls. He did not stir up self-pity for their dreadful plight, nor incite the slaves against their oppressors, although he often chastised the oppressors directly, calling them to repentance for their cruelty.

Instead, he preached the Gospel to the slaves in ways they could understand, in ways that would benefit them for eternity. He helped them see their innate dignity and restored that dignity, not by railing against the abuses they endured, but by railing against sin and helping the slaves find freedom in Christ. He told them they were sinners in need of repentance and that there was a loving God who died for their sins and wanted to forgive them and fill them with joy.

Biography of saint peter claver feast: September 9 is the feast

He held up the crucifix, revealing the God Who suffered for them, showing them the way to Heaven and how to avoid hell. As they listened, learned, believed, and converted, they were baptized. The moment of baptism was often a moment of profound tears and rejoicing for these slaves. Though physically bound and abused, they found they were freer than ever before because of the grace that flooded their souls upon repenting, professing faith in Christ, and being baptized.

When Peter learned that the next ship would not be arriving for months, he set off to travel the countryside to meet up with those he had baptized. He gave them further instruction in the Catholic faith, taught them to pray, and offered them hope any way he could. At times, when the converted slaves returned to sinful habits, Father Claver seemed to arrive out of nowhere, chastising them with love and calling them to repentance, thus restoring their Christian dignity.

After more than forty years of dedicated and heartfelt ministry to the slaves, Father Claver himself fell ill. He spent his final days enduring mistreatment from one of his caregivers, who was also a slave.

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Far from complaining, Father Claver accepted this treatment, uniting it with the suffering of Christ on the Cross. He saw it as a form of penance for any remaining sins of his own and a way to deepen his communion with those he had devoted his life to serving. Saint Peter Claver indeed devoted his life to the slaves. He campaigned for better treatment for them and admonished their abusers, yet he discovered that his most significant act of love was to assist these children of God in becoming sons and daughters of God by grace.

By instilling faith in them, he offered them hope. With hope, they cultivated charity, and by growing in charity, they found joy and fulfillment amid their terrible human conditions. It is estimated that nearly a third of the slaves died on the high seas due to diseases from the foul and poor conditions they were kept in the ships.

Biography of saint peter claver feast: Saint Peter Claver's Story. A native

The black slave trade had been going on for close to a century in the Americas. Much labour force, especially strong men and women, was still needed in the mining fields and plantations therefore, there was no end in sight for the slave trade. Before Peter Claver arrived, the Jesuit priest Fr. Alonso de Sandoval had started the service to the slaves.

When Peter Claver arrived, he mentored and inspired him to continue with the service. As opposed to visiting the slaves at the mines and plantations where they toiled, Peter Claver preferred to go straight to the docking ships at the port. He would enter the ship to treat and minister to those slaves who were in dire need of a merciful heart and a helping hand.

Inside the ships and still, outside in the yards where onlookers and buyers scrutinized them, Claver would give them medicines, biscuits, brandy, tobacco and lemons. When Claver saw a newborn baby or a dying slave, he would baptize them immediately. Throughout his forty years of service in Colombia, he was able to baptize approximatelyslaves and instruct them to the faith.

Although Alphonsus spent his days doing menial work as a door-keeper, he had immense insight into spiritual matters and encouraged Peter to become a missionary in the Spanish colonies. InPeter Claver — now a priest — arrived in Cartagena, a port city in present-day Colombia. Despite Pope Paul III's repeated condemnations of slavery during the previous century, European colonists continued importing African slaves, often sold by their own rulers, to work on plantations and in mines.

Those who survived the ship journey could expect to be worked to death by their masters. Many Spanish Royal officials in Cartagena appreciated Claver's work, and made contributions toward the slaves' relief and religious education. The slave traders, on the other hand, found the priest and his interpreters to be a nuisance.