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Peter Claver
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Saint Peter Claver was a Jesuit who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, of Colombia and of African Americans.
Claver became the prophet and miracle worker of Cartagena, and many were convinced that often God would not have spared the city save for him. During his life he is said to have baptized and instructed in the Faith more than 300,000 of the Africans brought to the Americas. He was beatified July 16, 1850, by Pope Pius IX, and canonized January 15, 1888, by Pope Leo XIII. His feast is celebrated on September 9, which marks the day after his death on September 8 (the same day as the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary). On July 7, 1896, he was proclaimed the special patron of all the Catholic missions among the negroes, "negroes" being an acceptable term in 1896. Alphonsus Rodriguez was canonized on the same day as Peter Caver.
Peter Claver's predecessor, Jesuit Father Alfonso de Sandoval, had devoted himself to the service of the slaves for 40 years before Claver arrived to continue his work; declaring himself, "the slave of the slaves forever."
Related websites
St Peter Claver Church, Lexington
St Peter Claver Parish, Maryland
St Peter Claver Parish, Los Angeles
Catholic Online Saints - St Peter Claver
San Pedro Claver, "Slave of the Slaves"
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Peter Claver