Saint Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit priest who dedicated his life to ministering to and advocating for enslaved Africans in Cartagena, Colombia, earning him the title "Apostle of the Slaves."
Saint Peter Claver (1580-1654) was a Spanish Jesuit priest who devoted his entire adult life to serving enslaved Africans brought to Cartagena, Colombia, a major slave port during the colonial era. Upon their arrival, he would board the slave ships, offering food, medicine, and spiritual comfort, often being the first compassionate face they encountered in the New World. He tirelessly catechized, baptized, and ministered to an estimated 300,000 enslaved individuals, seeing in each person the face of Christ and tirelessly working to alleviate their immense suffering and uphold their human dignity. His radical charity and unwavering commitment to social justice make him a powerful model for all who seek to serve the marginalized and confront systemic injustice.
Peter Claver was born in VerdĂș, Spain, in 1580, into a devout and prosperous farming family. From a young age, he displayed a profound piety and a contemplative spirit, which led him to pursue higher education. He began his studies at the University of Barcelona, where he excelled academically, before continuing at the University of Valencia. In 1602, at the age of 22, he entered the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit order, drawn by their missionary zeal and commitment to education and service. During his novitiate at Majorca, a pivotal encounter shaped his future: he became acquainted with Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, a humble Jesuit lay brother who served as the doorkeeper. Alphonsus, known for his deep spirituality and prophetic insights, frequently spoke to Claver about the urgent need for missionaries in the New World, particularly among the enslaved peoples, reportedly telling Peter that God was calling him to serve them in the Indies.
Inspired by Alphonsusâs words and his own growing desire to serve the most marginalized, Peter Claver volunteered for the missions in the Spanish colonies. In 1610, he sailed across the Atlantic, arriving first in Cartagena de Indias, a bustling port city in present-day Colombia. Cartagena was then the primary entry point for enslaved Africans in the Spanish Americas, a brutal hub of the transatlantic slave trade. The sight that greeted him upon arrival was horrific: thousands of men, women, and children, packed into disease-ridden ships, dehumanized and suffering beyond imagination. This stark reality, far from deterring him, solidified his resolve to dedicate his life entirely to these forgotten souls.
After completing his theological studies in BogotĂĄ and being ordained a priest in Cartagena in 1616, Peter Claver made a solemn vow that would define his life's mission: he declared himself "the slave of the slaves forever." This was not merely a symbolic gesture but a profound commitment that he lived out daily for the next 38 years. His ministry began on the very docks where the slave ships arrived. He would rush to meet each incoming vessel, often before the captain or crew, carrying baskets of bread, fruit, and medicine. He would descend into the suffocating, putrid holds, where he would tend to the sick, clean wounds, and offer what little comfort he could to those who had endured unimaginable horrors.
Peter Claverâs approach was radical for his time. He learned the local African dialects, or at least enough to communicate basic truths, and often relied on interpreters to bridge the language barrier. He would spend hours with the new arrivals, listening to their stories, baptizing those who wished to convert, and teaching them about the Christian faith. He saw each enslaved person not as property, but as a child of God, endowed with inherent dignity. His compassion extended beyond spiritual care; he regularly sought out food, clothing, and medical supplies for them, often begging from local merchants and wealthy citizens. He would visit the plantations and mines where they were forced to work, bringing them sacraments, offering solace, and advocating for better treatment from their masters, often facing resistance and scorn.
His unwavering dedication came at a great personal cost. Peter Claver constantly risked contracting the myriad diseases that plagued the slave ships and the city. He faced immense physical discomfort, frequently working in squalid conditions and enduring the stench of sickness and death. Furthermore, his ministry was not universally welcomed. Many slave owners and even some fellow Europeans viewed his work as disruptive, challenging the economic and social order built upon the dehumanization of enslaved people. Despite the opposition, the ridicule, and the sheer scale of the suffering he witnessed daily, Claver persevered, fueled by his deep faith and an unshakeable conviction that he was serving Christ Himself in the person of the enslaved. It is estimated that he personally ministered to and baptized over 300,000 enslaved individuals during his lifetime.
Towards the end of his life, weakened by decades of relentless service and poor health, Peter Claver became an invalid, suffering from paralysis for the last four years. He died on September 8, 1654, in Cartagena, the city where he had given his life for the least of his brethren. His death was mourned by the very people he served and by many who had initially scorned him. Saint Peter Claver's life stands as a powerful testament to radical charity and social justice within the Christian tradition. He is venerated as a patron saint of slaves, missionaries, and inter-racial justice. Canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, his feast day is observed on September 9th, serving as a constant reminder of the Church's call to defend human dignity and to combat all forms of oppression, echoing his profound commitment to seeing Christ in every suffering soul.
The air in Cartagena was often thick with the stench of the sea, but on days when a new slave ship arrived, another, far more sickening odor permeated the city â the smell of human suffering, disease, and fear. While others held their noses, or turned away in disgust, or merely saw cargo, Father Peter Claver saw souls. The moment a ship was sighted, he would rush to the docks, not waiting for the traders or the officials. He would often be the first to board, carrying baskets filled with bread, fruit, and jugs of water, sometimes even medicines and tobacco, gifts for those who had endured unspeakable horrors.
He would descend into the suffocating, dark, and festering holds, where hundreds of enslaved Africans, often naked, emaciated, and covered in their own filth, were packed together. The air was putrid, thick with the smell of vomit, sweat, and disease. Many recoiled from the sight, but Peter did not. He knelt among them, his heart breaking, his face unwavering in its compassion. He would move from person to person, offering a piece of bread, a sip of water, or simply a gentle touch. He cleaned their wounds, comforted the dying, and whispered words of hope and God's love, often through interpreters who spoke the various African dialects.
There was one particular legend told of him: a ship had arrived, and the conditions were even more appalling than usual. Many were sick with smallpox, and the crew was hesitant to even enter the hold. But Peter Claver, undeterred, went down. He found a young woman, barely clinging to life, covered in sores and feverish. He carefully lifted her, cradling her head, and cleaned her face with a cloth. He offered her water, and though she could barely swallow, she looked into his eyes, and for the first time in months, saw not cruelty or indifference, but profound, unconditional love. It was said that in that moment, she found a peace that transcended her physical agony, and soon after, she passed, cradled in his arms, a testament to his radical belief that in every suffering soul, especially the most despised, lay the very image of Christ.
1911
Peter Claver, SAINT, born at VerdĂș, Catalonia, Spain, 1580; died at Cartagena, New Granada (now Colombia), 8 September, 1654. He studied at the University of Barcelona, and entered the Society of Jesus in 1602. While he was studying philosophy at Majorca, Alphonsus Rodriguez, the saintly doorkeeper of the college, often spoke to him of the need of missionaries in the New World, and Peter, obedient to a call from God, offered himself for the missions of New Granada, and landed at Cartagena, the principal slave-mart of the New World, in 1610. After six years spent in study and preparation, he was ordained priest in 1616. He then began his apostolate among the 10,000 or 12,000 slaves who annually arrived in Cartagena from Africa. He was the first to board the slave-ships as they entered the harbour. The holds were dark and foul, pestilential with the stench of the sick and the dying, but Peter entered, bringing with him food, medicines, brandy, tobacco, and lemons. He brought with him, too, interpreters whom he had trained, and through them he gave the poor creatures the first words of human sympathy and Christian consolation that they had heard since their capture. He saw in them the image of his crucified Master, and his heart was filled with tenderest pity. Before they left the ships, he gave them all the help he could, feeding them with his own hands, and ministering to the sick. When they were taken to the slave-pens, Peter visited them constantly, and instructed them in the rudiments of the Faith, and prepared them for baptism. This was a difficult task, as the slaves belonged to various tribes and spoke different dialects, but the saint, by his winning kindness, overcame all obstacles, and in the course of his forty years' ministry, he baptized more than 300,000, and admitted them to the sacraments. From the slave-pens he followed them to the hospitals and to the mines, ever ready to serve them. He was their physician, their father, and their friend. He would spend whole nights in prayer, and then give himself to the service of his dear slaves. He often went into the country, visiting the plantations and haciendas, everywhere consoling and encouraging the slaves, and instructing them. He was often treated with contempt by the owners, and sometimes by the slaves themselves, but he bore all patiently, and never gave up his heroic work. He was greatly helped in his work by the Jesuit lay brother, Nicholas Gonzalez, who was his companion for twenty-five years. Peter was also a friend of the criminals in the public jail, and showed special solicitude for those who were condemned to death. Besides his work for the slaves, he was zealous in the spiritual care of the sailors and traders who visited the port, and of the convicts and condemned criminals. He was also a man of wonderful penance and prayer, and often went into ecstasy. He foretold his death, and after a long and painful illness, he passed away. He was beatified 16 July, 1850, by Pius IX, and canonized 15 January, 1888, by Leo XIII, together with Alphonsus Rodriguez, his old friend and spiritual guide. His feast is celebrated on 9 September. His body reposes in the church of the Society of Jesus at Cartagena.
Pilgrimages and solemn liturgical celebrations are held at the Shrine of Saint Peter Claver, where his remains are interred, drawing pilgrims from across Colombia and beyond.
The shrine is located in Cartagena, the city where Saint Peter Claver spent his entire ministry, and where he is buried.
Many Catholic churches, particularly in the United States, observe his feast day with special prayers, homilies, and educational programs focusing on racial justice, human rights, and combating modern-day slavery and human trafficking.
Saint Peter Claver's unwavering dedication to the enslaved Africans makes him a powerful patron for those working for racial equality and human dignity today.
Jesuit communities and institutions worldwide often commemorate his feast day with particular solemnity, reflecting his membership in the Society of Jesus and his exemplary service.
Saint Peter Claver was a Jesuit priest, and his life embodies the order's commitment to faith and justice, inspiring members globally.