Yesterday was the feast day of St. Peter Claver. There is a local church named after him here in east Texas, and I must admit I had never actually read up on his life. Now that I have, I understand why he is so celebrated.
I wrote a post last week about the Catholic tradition of canonizing people, and we just saw the canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Catholic or not, reading about these people is fascinating. St. Peter Claver is no exception, inspiring numerous tributes, memorials, and even a fraternity in his honor. The Knights of Peter Claver is the largest historically African-American Catholic lay organization in the United States. Founded in Mobile, Alabama, it is now based out of New Orleans. Open to both men and women, the Knights offer aid to the sick and disabled, among other services. Likewise, a religious order called the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver devotes itself to the support of foreign missions.
So who is this guy that everyone wants to be like?
Born in 1581 in Spain, Peter Claver's birth came just 70 years after King Ferdinand of Spain helped set in motion what would be a long-lasting series of human rights atrocities in the new colonies by authorizing the purchase of 250 people to be sent as slaves to "New Spain". The Catholic Church was officially already against slavery. In 1537, Pope Paul III wrote Sublimus Dei, in which he insisted on fair treatment of Native Americans. In it, he insisted that "the Indians [were] human beings and they [were] not to be robbed of their freedom or possessions". The history of the Catholic Church's stance on slavery has been hotly debated, with good reason (I think all debates are good; they get people interested in finding truth.) The whole history is a topic for another time, but I found this article by Christianity Today very interesting: The Truth About the Catholic Church and Slavery by Rodney Stark. (And... I'd like to point out... this is not a specifically Catholic publication!)
So, it was into this new world of colonization that Peter Claver was born. He decided at age 20 to become a Jesuit priest, and volunteered to be sent to the colonies of New Spain. In a notebook he began at an earlier age, he wrote "I must dedicate myself to the service of God until death, on the understanding that I am like a slave." He was sent to the New Kingdom of Granada, now Colombia, in 1610.
In Colombia, Claver was horrified when he witnessed the treatment, living, and working conditions of slaves. Claver's predecessor and mentor was Fr. Alonso de Sandoval, who had spent 40 years in Colombia ministering to African slaves. Claver was a devoted student to Sandoval, and upon making his final vows in 1622, he signed his name as "Peter Claver, servant of the Ethiopians [i.e. Africans] forever."
Sandoval routinely joined the slaves as they worked, ministering however he could. Claver took things a step farther. He was known to rush onto slave ships the moment they arrived in the city, doing all he could to comfort the people being held on board. The voyage from western Africa to New Spain took months, and traffickers crammed the slave ships to capacity. Some reported that slaves were even told they were being taken to a land where they would be eaten. Claver's priority was to minister to the exhausted and terrified Africans however he could, and legends about him began to formulate and grow. He always wore a cloak onto the ships, for example, that he would give to anyone who needed it. One legend said that anyone lucky enough to wear the priest's cloak would be healed of all their afflictions. When the slaves were taken from the ships and forced into yards to be scrutinized by potential buyers, Claver joined them. Using interpreters, he offered them basic instructions, and distributed medicine, food, brandy, and tobacco. During seasons when slave ships were not expected in harbor, Claver traversed the plantations to visit, minister to and teach the slaves there.
Claver's ministries were not confined to slaves; he was known in the city as a regular minister to criminals, hospital patients, traders, and the upper-class members of society. Being such a well-known priest would have allowed him the opportunity to lodge with any of the wealthy members of society during his travels, but he rarely did. During his travels across Colombia, he avoided staying in the homes of overseers and plantation owners, insisting instead to reside in the slaves' quarters. During his 40 years of ministry, it is estimated that he ministered to over 300,000 slaves, always following up on them throughout their lives.
Peter Claver died in 1654, after battling a crippling illness for four years. During that time, he was widely forgotten, as he lay neglected and physically abused by his caretaker. He was not known to complain against his caretaker, though, considering the abuse just punishment for the sins he had committed in his life. When word of his death spread, residents of the surrounding city rushed the house where he died, cramming into his room to pay their respects. The city leaders, after considering him a nuisance for his longtime advocacy on behalf of the slaves, ultimately gave him a public funeral full of pomp and circumstance.
Human rights advocates are always inspiring, and stories of such advocates in such a time and place as 17th century colonial New Spain are even more so, I feel. I'm happy we remember and honor such a man on September 9, and I hope you guys enjoyed hearing his story.
St. Peter Claver Prayer:
God our Heavenly Father, You have given us life through the Death and Resurrection of Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus our saving Lord, You came into a world
darkened by man's sin and gave it light through your teachings,
Holy Spirit, the Breath of God Within us,
You guide and enlighten us and give us the strength of our convictions;
Saint Peter Claver, who became an example for us, You showed us the Love of God
The Light of Christ, and the strength of the Holy Spirit;
We pray now that all we say and do,
in your honor, be a continuation of your work here on earth.
St. Peter Claver....pray for us,
St. Peter Claver....pray for us,
St. Peter Claver....pray for us.
I wrote a post last week about the Catholic tradition of canonizing people, and we just saw the canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Catholic or not, reading about these people is fascinating. St. Peter Claver is no exception, inspiring numerous tributes, memorials, and even a fraternity in his honor. The Knights of Peter Claver is the largest historically African-American Catholic lay organization in the United States. Founded in Mobile, Alabama, it is now based out of New Orleans. Open to both men and women, the Knights offer aid to the sick and disabled, among other services. Likewise, a religious order called the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver devotes itself to the support of foreign missions.
So who is this guy that everyone wants to be like?
Born in 1581 in Spain, Peter Claver's birth came just 70 years after King Ferdinand of Spain helped set in motion what would be a long-lasting series of human rights atrocities in the new colonies by authorizing the purchase of 250 people to be sent as slaves to "New Spain". The Catholic Church was officially already against slavery. In 1537, Pope Paul III wrote Sublimus Dei, in which he insisted on fair treatment of Native Americans. In it, he insisted that "the Indians [were] human beings and they [were] not to be robbed of their freedom or possessions". The history of the Catholic Church's stance on slavery has been hotly debated, with good reason (I think all debates are good; they get people interested in finding truth.) The whole history is a topic for another time, but I found this article by Christianity Today very interesting: The Truth About the Catholic Church and Slavery by Rodney Stark. (And... I'd like to point out... this is not a specifically Catholic publication!)
So, it was into this new world of colonization that Peter Claver was born. He decided at age 20 to become a Jesuit priest, and volunteered to be sent to the colonies of New Spain. In a notebook he began at an earlier age, he wrote "I must dedicate myself to the service of God until death, on the understanding that I am like a slave." He was sent to the New Kingdom of Granada, now Colombia, in 1610.
In Colombia, Claver was horrified when he witnessed the treatment, living, and working conditions of slaves. Claver's predecessor and mentor was Fr. Alonso de Sandoval, who had spent 40 years in Colombia ministering to African slaves. Claver was a devoted student to Sandoval, and upon making his final vows in 1622, he signed his name as "Peter Claver, servant of the Ethiopians [i.e. Africans] forever."
Sandoval routinely joined the slaves as they worked, ministering however he could. Claver took things a step farther. He was known to rush onto slave ships the moment they arrived in the city, doing all he could to comfort the people being held on board. The voyage from western Africa to New Spain took months, and traffickers crammed the slave ships to capacity. Some reported that slaves were even told they were being taken to a land where they would be eaten. Claver's priority was to minister to the exhausted and terrified Africans however he could, and legends about him began to formulate and grow. He always wore a cloak onto the ships, for example, that he would give to anyone who needed it. One legend said that anyone lucky enough to wear the priest's cloak would be healed of all their afflictions. When the slaves were taken from the ships and forced into yards to be scrutinized by potential buyers, Claver joined them. Using interpreters, he offered them basic instructions, and distributed medicine, food, brandy, and tobacco. During seasons when slave ships were not expected in harbor, Claver traversed the plantations to visit, minister to and teach the slaves there.
Claver's ministries were not confined to slaves; he was known in the city as a regular minister to criminals, hospital patients, traders, and the upper-class members of society. Being such a well-known priest would have allowed him the opportunity to lodge with any of the wealthy members of society during his travels, but he rarely did. During his travels across Colombia, he avoided staying in the homes of overseers and plantation owners, insisting instead to reside in the slaves' quarters. During his 40 years of ministry, it is estimated that he ministered to over 300,000 slaves, always following up on them throughout their lives.
Peter Claver died in 1654, after battling a crippling illness for four years. During that time, he was widely forgotten, as he lay neglected and physically abused by his caretaker. He was not known to complain against his caretaker, though, considering the abuse just punishment for the sins he had committed in his life. When word of his death spread, residents of the surrounding city rushed the house where he died, cramming into his room to pay their respects. The city leaders, after considering him a nuisance for his longtime advocacy on behalf of the slaves, ultimately gave him a public funeral full of pomp and circumstance.
Human rights advocates are always inspiring, and stories of such advocates in such a time and place as 17th century colonial New Spain are even more so, I feel. I'm happy we remember and honor such a man on September 9, and I hope you guys enjoyed hearing his story.
St. Peter Claver Prayer:
God our Heavenly Father, You have given us life through the Death and Resurrection of Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus our saving Lord, You came into a world
darkened by man's sin and gave it light through your teachings,
Holy Spirit, the Breath of God Within us,
You guide and enlighten us and give us the strength of our convictions;
Saint Peter Claver, who became an example for us, You showed us the Love of God
The Light of Christ, and the strength of the Holy Spirit;
We pray now that all we say and do,
in your honor, be a continuation of your work here on earth.
St. Peter Claver....pray for us,
St. Peter Claver....pray for us,
St. Peter Claver....pray for us.