Memorial
Saint Peter Claver
- Feast day
- September 09
- Origin
- Spanish
Patron of
- African Americans and slaves
Life
Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit who sailed to Cartagena, in present-day Colombia, where for forty years he ministered to enslaved Africans arriving in chains, baptizing thousands and tending their wounds. Vowing to be 'the slave of the slaves forever,' he died in 1654 and is honored each September 9 as patron of African Americans and enslaved peoples.
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