September 1654 in Cartagena, Kolumbien) war ein spanischer Jesuit, Missionar und Priester. This is Ms. DeMelas’ 20th year at St. Peter Claver School. Peter Claver was born in 1581 to a devout farming family in the Catalonia region of Spain. With the help of interpreters and pictures which he carried with him, he gave basic instructions. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. At the age of … During these missions, whenever possible he avoided the hospitality of planters and overseers; instead, he would lodge in the slave quarters. He was born 70 years after King Ferdinand of Spain set the colonial slavery culture into motion by authorizing the purchase of 250 African slaves in Lisbon for his territories in New Spain. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Peter-Claver. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Peter Claver was born in Spain in 1580 and entered the Jesuit order at an early age, making vows in 1604. The extent of Claver's ministry, which was prodigious even before considering the astronomical number of people he baptized, came to be realized only after his death. His mission extended beyond caring for slaves, however. Sandoval found Claver an apt pupil. Posted: (2 days ago) St. Peter Claver, SJ, was a member of the Society of Jesus and is the patron of African missions and of interracial justice, due to his work with slaves in Colombia. Claver wore a cloak, which he would lend to anyone in need. She has a photograph from 1933 showing her mother and her mother’s twin sister among the seven black girls graduating from St. Peter Claver’s eighth grade that year, poised in crisp white dresses alongside two white priests. St. Peter Claver lived at a time when the Atlantic slave trade was reaching full steam yet few people were aware of the cost in human misery that went into supplying workers for the large, labor-intensive plantations and gold mines in the newly colonized Americas. He obtained his first degrees at the University of Barcelona. [6] Sandoval devoted himself to serving the slaves for 40 years before Claver arrived to continue his work. During the 40 years of his ministry in the New Kingdom of Granada, it is estimated he personally baptized around 300,000 people (in groups of 10) and heard the confessions of over 5,000 slaves per year. When he had completed the novitiate, he was sent to study philosophy at Palma, Mallorca. Peter Claver was born to a prosperous family in Verdu, Spain, and earned his first degree in Barcelona. Peter Claver was born to a prosperous family in Verdu, Spain, and earned his first degree in Barcelona. Corrections? Mine owners met their labor requirements by importing blacks from Angola and Congo, whom they purchased in West Africa for four crowns a head or bartered for goods and sold in America for an average two hundred crowns apiece. Claver's predecessor in his eventual lifelong mission, Alonso de Sandoval, was his mentor and inspiration. Born in Spain, the son of a farmer, Peter Claver entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained in 1615 in Cartagena, South America, where he had made his higher studies. St. Peter Claver, Spanish San Pedro Claver, (born 1581, Verdú, Spain—died September 4, 1654, Cartagena, Colombia; canonized 1888; feast day September 9), Jesuit missionary to South America who, in dedicating his life to the aid of enslaved Africans, earned the title of “apostle of the Negroes.”. Among the many parishes dedicated to St. Peter Claver are those in Lexington, Kentucky. He attended the University of Barcelona as a young man before joining the Jesuits at the age of 20. He obtained his first degrees at the University of Barcelona. He also visited them on the local plantations to encourage their faith and to exhort their masters to treat them humanely; during these visits he often refused the hospitality of the plantation owners and instead stayed in the slave quarters. He lingered for four years, largely forgotten and neglected, physically abused and starved by an ex-slave who had been hired by the Superior of the house to care for him. Boarding the ship, he entered the filthy and diseased holds to treat and minister to their badly treated, terrified human cargo, who had survived a voyage of several months under horrible conditions. The son of a Catalonian farmer, was born at Verdu, in 1581; he died 8 September, 1654. When the people of the city heard of his death, many forced their way into his room to pay their last respects. She received a B.A. He became a Jesuit in 1604, and left for Colombia in 1610, dedicating himself to the service of black slaves. He obtained his first degrees at the University of Barcelona. Moved with love for the souls in the Americas who had never heard the name of Jesus, he braved the long journey across the Atlantic and went to Cartagena (modern day … [29][30], Petrus Claver, Aethiopum Servus (Peter Claver, Slave of the Africans), "La virtud heroica del "esclavo de los esclavos" en, "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Peter Claver", "St. Peter Claver: Slave of the Slaves Forever", "Who was St. Peter Claver, whose tomb the Pope will visit this week? Comparing students' Year 7 results to their Year 9 results we see a huge improvement. Peter entered the Society of Jesus in 1602 and eight years later was sent to Cartagena, where he was ordained in 1616. For four years he studied humanities at the University of Barcelona, then known as a studium generale. Peter Claver was born in 1581 to a devout farming family in the Catalonia region of Spain. After two years of study there, Claver wrote these words in the notebook he kept throughout his life: "I must dedicate myself to the service of God until death, on the understanding that I am like a slave. Six years later he was sent to what is today Colombia, where thousands of African slaves landed each month to labor in the New World. In time he became a moral force, the Apostle of Cartagena.[4]. Born in Lleida, Catalonia (located a little more than 50 miles from Barcelona) in 1580, St. Peter Claver upon arriving in the port city of Cartagena in 1610, studied theology prior to being ordained a priest. He studied at the Jesuit college of Barcelona, entered the Jesuit novitiate at Tarragona in 1602 and took his final vows on August 8th, 1604. Peter is also the patron saint of those in slavery and the Republic of Colombia. September 9 marked the Feast of St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest who ministered to African slaves in Colombia in the 17th century. In the last years of his life Peter was too ill to leave his room. [2] The Congress of the Republic of Colombia declared September 9 as the Human Rights national Day in his honor. Peter Claver, (Spanish: Pedro Claver y Corberó, Catalan: Pere Claver i Corberó) (26 June 1580 – 8 September 1654) was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary born in Verdú (Catalonia, Spain) who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, the Republic of Colombia, and ministry to African Americans. Africans] forever). He studied at the University of Barcelona, and joined the Jesuits when he was 20. He never complained about his treatment, accepting it as a just punishment for his sins. The miserable condition of enslaved people aboard ships and in the pens of Cartagena, South America’s chief slave market, caused Peter to declare himself “the slave of the Negroes forever”; he dedicated the rest of his life to alleviating their suffering. Whereas Sandoval had visited the slaves where they worked, Claver preferred to head for the wharf as soon as a slave ship entered the port. Peter Claver was born into a Catholic family in Spain in 1580 and studied at the University of Barcelona, where he first met the Jesuits. Over the past five years, St Peter Claver College has consistently demonstrated growth in NAPLAN scores. He entered the Jesuits in 1601. [8], Claver saw the slaves as fellow Christians, encouraging others to do so as well. At the age of 20 he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Tarragona. Like her mother, Harris was born into St. Peter Claver, went to school there, and married there. in Elementary Education from Holy Family University, Philadelphia, PA. She relocated to Florida in 1994 and has 2 sons and a daughter. [9] During his 40 years of ministry it is estimated that he personally catechized and baptized 300,000 slaves. He is also patron saint for seafarers. Such was his reputation for holiness that they stripped away anything to serve as a relic.[1]. Born in 1581 in Verdú, Spain, Claver joined the Society of Jesus at age 20 in 1602. More than three centuries ago, St. Peter Claver was born in Catalonia, Spain, in a small town of Verdu, about 1 hour or so outside of Barcelona. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Among the many schools dedicated to St. Peter Claver are those in Decatur, Georgia, This page was last edited on 19 February 2021, at 03:39. St. Peter Claver was born at Verdu, Catalonia, Spain, in 1580, of impoverished parents descended from ancient and distinguished families. Others were captured at random, especially able-bodied males and females deemed suitable for labor. [1] He died on 8 September 1654. He preached in the city square, to sailors and traders and conducted country missions, returning every spring to visit those he had baptized, ensuring that they were treated humanely. It was difficult to move around on the ships, because the slave traffickers filled them to capacity. Statue of St Peter Claver in Verdu. Through years of unremitting toil and the force of his own unique personality, the slaves' situation slowly improved. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). For four years he studied humanities at the University of Barcelona, then known as a studium generale. Er ist der Schutzheilige Kolumbiens und gilt seit 1985 als Patron der Menschenrechte. Saint Peter Claver - Jesuit Saint. If you don’t know much about Peter, he’s nothing less than a hero; a man who had the courage to rise up against an unspeakable evil of his day, the widespread and cruel use of African slaves in the New World, even when it meant ridicule, hardship, and little hope for total success.