St. Peter Claver Feast Day

Today is the feast of St Peter Claver, a 17th century Jesuit stationed in Cartagena in the Spanish Colonies. During his time spent preparing for ordination as a Scholastic, Claver was disturbed by the slave trade and the treatment and living conditions of African slaves. Claver worked under Fr Alfonso Sandoval in ministering to the slaves, and when Claver professed his vows and succeeded Sandoval, he signed his profession, "Peter Claver, servant of the Africans forever."

Claver took to greet incoming ships bearing slaves, boarding the vessels and attending to those who had survived the horrific journey, giving them food and medicine. He often experienced conflicts with his fellow Jesuits, who did not share his feelings about slavery. Though still enslaved and oppressed, the lives of many slaves were improved by the work of Peter Claver. Because of his advocacy he was considered a nuisance by city officials.

He was canonized in 1888 and is considered the patron saint of the enslaved and of ministry to African Americans. He is also the patron of the Knights of Peter Claver, the largest African American Catholic fraternal organization in the U.S.

May we all be inspired by St. Peter Claver to be disturbed and disgusted by institutional racism and oppression, and may those of us in positions of power and privilege uphold the human dignity of the oppressed.