Seventeenth-century Jesuit who cared for enslaved Africans arriving at Cartagena, Colombia.
Life
Saint Peter Claver was born in 1580 in Catalonia, Spain. After joining the Jesuits, he was encouraged by the brother Alphonsus Rodríguez to go to the Americas, and in 1610 he arrived in Cartagena, a port city in present-day Colombia.
Cartagena was then a major port for enslaved people brought from Africa. Whenever a ship arrived, he hurried to meet it, bringing food and medicine to the sick and exhausted, washing their wounds, and with the help of interpreters sharing the Gospel and baptizing. He called himself the slave of the slaves forever.
He carried on this work for about forty years, died in 1654 and was canonized in 1888. The Church remembers him on September 9.
Spirituality
Peter Claver's spirituality is meeting Christ in those most despised. He communicated love with his hands before his words and defended the dignity of people others ignored. His service shows that the Gospel is for every human being.
Reflection
Today, too, there are people pushed to the margins, such as migrants and the homeless. Like Peter Claver, could you offer a warm look or kind word to a neighbor you would usually pass by?