Sep 6, 2009 / 03:08 am
St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit missionary in Colombia worked tirelessly to evangelize and care for Africans who were being sold as slaves. Though he could not put an end to slavery, he baptized and ministered the sacraments to over 300,000. The Church will celebrate his feast day on September 9.
Born in Catalonia, Spain in 1581, Peter Claver joined the Jesuits at the age of 20. While studying philosophy, Peter befriended St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, the college's doorkeeper, who persuaded him to set out for the Americas to spread the Word of God in the missions.