St. Peter Claver

St. Peter Claver - Patron of Colombia and of Negro Catholic Missions - September 9th

This Spanish priest of the Society of Jesus is known as the Apostle of the Slaves. While he was still studying to become a Jesuit, he felt a burning desire to go to South America as a missionary. He volunteered and was sent to the seaport of Cartagena, where great shiploads of African slaves were brought to be sold.

At the sight of those poor people all crowded together, sick and suffering, Peter felt great pity. He made up his mind to help them and to convert them. “The slave of the Negroes forever” is what he called himself. As soon as a shipload arrived, he would go among the hundreds of the sick slaves giving them medicine and food, baptizing the dying and the little babies, and nursing the ill. It was such hard, sickening work, in that terrible heat, that one man who went once with St. Peter could never face the horrible sight again. Yet Peter did it for forty years!

Although their owners tried to stop him, the Saint patiently taught the Faith to the slaves. He used pictures of Jesus Crucified, to show them how much God loved them. He used a picture of Hell to make them feel sorry for their sins. In this way, he succeeded in baptizing about 300,000 slaves over the years. Yet it was slow, discouraging work and many people criticized him, saying it was all a waste of time. They thought the slaves would never keep the Faith. St. Peter, however, went to visit them after they left Cartagena and never stopped urging the slaveowners to take care of the souls of their slaves and to be better Christians themselves.

When people praised St. Peter for being able to treat disgusting diseases in conditions that no one else could stand, he would simply say: “If being a saint means having no taste and having a strong stomach, I admit that I may be one!” As if all he did were not enough penance, he also treated his body very harshly and practiced great mortifications. During the last four years of his life, he was so sick that he had to stay in his room and could not even celebrate Mass. Most everyone forgot about him, but he never complained. Then suddenly at his death, the whole city realized they had lost a saint and from then on he was never forgotten again.

Today let us pray for Missionaries. Also let us help them with little offerings every time we can.