St. Peter Claver was canonized in 1888 by Pope Leo . But he found time to care for other sufferers besides slaves. They provided no religious instruction or ministration for their slaves, no alleviation of their physical condition, so that the sacrament of baptism became to the slaves, unfortunately, a sign and symbol of their oppression and wretchedness instead of their salvation. Protect Your Family Resources News VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE: Dismantling Systemic Racism in America February 27, 2023 Kind and patient to all, for some of his penitents he prescribed the remedy of hairshirts and scourges. The priests carried Father Claver in his coffin from the Jesuit house to their main church. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Enclosed is a small donation in thanksgiving. Father Clavers first Mass was offered in the poor Jesuit Church at the altar of Our Lady of the Miracle, to whom he was touchingly devoted, never omitting a salute to her when leaving or entering the residence. One poor prisoner, won to God by Father Claver, penned these pathetic words in his prayer book after receiving the death sentence: This book belongs to the happiest man in the world. Built between 1580 and 1654, the structure features an imposing stone facade, yet the interior glows with the rich colors filtered through its stained glass windows. He was too busy loving to worry about hating. Bot the saint knew it not. And for two months they had heard nothing but abusive speech. Category. Book a Tour Virtual Tour Ways to Give Online Donations Then he and his aides would distribute foods, biscuits, preserves, fruits, tobacco, liquors, and such like gifts to win their confidence and rouse them from their lethargy. So repulsive was his sickness that no one dares to go near him, lest they contract the infection. During the time that the blacks spent in the sheds, they were penned so closely that they had to sleep almost upon one another and, thereby, freely handed on their diseases nonetheless, Claver was seen caring for the bodies of the sick and the souls of all. Funk, Motown, Pop, Pop Soul, Quiet Storm, Soul, Southern Soul, R&B, Brill Building Pop, Rhythm And Blues, and Classic Soul. He became almost entirely inactive, but would sometimes hear confessions, especially of his dear friend Doa Isabella de Urbina who had always generously supported his work with her money. And then, worse than the slave owners, were the slave traders themselves, hardened speculators in human flesh, who mercilessly hunted down their merchandise, like animals, along the equatorial African coasts and islands that they might auction them off at a handsome profit across the sea. They lay there together, in fear, like sardines, naked and bleeding in the cold damp of winter or the excruciating heat of summer, with but one daily feeding of corn and water to sustain them. Boarding the slave ships as they entered the harbor, he would hurry to the revolting inferno of the hold, and offer whatever poor refreshments he could afford; he would care for the sick and dying, and instruct the slaves through Negro catechists before administering the Sacraments. They requested that the Jesuits transfer his body to the church where the populace could see him for the last time and properly venerate his remains. Sometimes a hasty unkind word or some latent jealousy was enough to change allies, friends, or even blood relatives into hateful enemies ready to do battle. While he was studying philosophy at Majorca in 1605, Alphonsus . When he viewed their deplorable condition and saw the fear in their faces, he broke down and cried. Reports indicate that Medina was upset at O'Connell because he claimed he wasn't paid properl, Saint Christopher Prayer"Motorist's Prayer :" Grant me, O Lord, a steady hand and watchful eye, that no one shall be hurt as I pass by. To me it is a miracle ! Because, he continued, your sufferings have opened for you the gates of Paradise. He turned their inevitable suffering into a cause for joy. The holy priest would bend over, and with his own arms, he would lift up the sickliest. He was received into the novitiate of Tarragona at the age of 20 and was sent to the college of Montesione at Palma in Majorca, Spain. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. The masters complained that he wasted the slaves time with his preaching, praying and hymn-singing. Too bad todays social experts werent around in the seventeenth century to help the slaves. The diocese writes: Dear Frs & Srs, Sr. Milagrine Dantas Fatima Sister from Sawantwadi, Sindhudurg along with two other Fatima Sister and their Parish Priest and other two persons met with an fatal accident as truck rams into their four wheeler at Shillong. Cajeten Pereira Bishop House In total six people were killed including the priest and three nuns killed in road accident at Sumer. All of them died on the spot. His labors in the confessional for the holy season would increase threefold. He related to his confessor that in one of his visions he was taken to the abode of the blessed by his guardian angel, who pointed out to him those magnificent jeweled thrones described in the Apocalypse. Brother Nicolas was downstairs and heard a noise from the upstairs room where Claver was bedded. They turned their eyes to Africa to find that labor force. But then, America did not give up on the idea. Smallpox, scurvy, and other deadly plagues spread like wildfire below the deck, due to the lack of any sanitation. The women, in particular, would shed abundant tears while embracing each other in great joy. Here he met Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, the man who was to thoroughly inspire him and send him on his lifes mission. Besides visiting the slave huts, the zealous father had other apostolates that he lovingly attended to: the hospital of St. Sebastian, the leprosarium of St Lazarus, and the prisons. He had a steady confidence that God would care for them and, not his least worry were the slave owners whom he did not deem beyond the mercy of God. On one occasion, as out future apostle passed by his spiritual master with a fellow student on their way to recreation, Brother Alphonsus stopped them and said, Remember, the Three Persons of the Most Blessed Trinity go with you. Instantly the holy porter was seized by a heavenly rapture and he stood senseless as if in trance. February 17th 1937 was a day upon which a miracle happened. One Dutchman was particularly hard, and assaulted Father Claver verbally every time he saw him, shouting in his fury that the priest would never bewitch him as he did the others. There were times when the streets of Cartagena and other more viable settlements would flow with blood from such cruel assaults. Claver treated their needy souls almost the same way he treated afflicted bodies. Nor was the saint known to into ecstasies at the altar. To keep from fainting, he applied periodically a handkerchief dipped in wine to his sweaty face. The family Rosary was an essential part of the typical sixteenth century pious Catalonian rearing in which Ana and Pedro Claver, our saints parents schooled their four children. Owing to the scarcity of priests who go to preach His name; what tears are not called for at the sight of so many people straying in the wilderness because there is no one to guide them. Some cases involved actual diabolic manifestations. The young Claver exhibited fine qualities of mind and spirit and was destined for the Church. black labor. Here in the solitude of his confinement he suffered not only physically but also mentally. The riches of those countries are prized whilst the peoples are despised. St. Peter Claver. He did not know the full story of the treatment meted out to the slaves till his own arrival here. African Americans have always been intrigued by individuals of white skin, missionaries, clergyman and religious who appeared to rise above the routine racial biases of men and served us unabashedly, unashamedly and with sacrificial charity in the name of Christ, some of whom died martyrs death while moving among us. The beauty that attracted this apostle was one far superior to that of pretty faces and balanced proportions; it was his God and Savior, Jesus Christ, whom he saw in the most abandoned and the most loathsome. Saint Melania, a wealthy Roman matron, freed her 8,000 slaves at once. Most of the soldiers went so far as to voluntarily enlist in the Spanish army, or in some other way subject themselves to the Spanish crown, rather than to return to their anti-Catholic homelands. But it would be inaccurate to label Father Claver as some kind of humanitarian. Many of the narratives both of the heroism and extraordinary wonders worked by Peter Claver concern his nursing of sick and diseased slaves, in circumstances often no one else, black or white, could face. First, the governor Don Pedro de Zapata came, and with him the magistrates. I am sorry for having offended Thee. He kept a strict account of each and every slave he baptized. Peter Claver Catholic Church was born. Learn interesting facts and tidbits about the beloved St. Patrick. The joy in their eyes as they looked at us was something to see. The two men conversed at length, discussing the Catholic position as opposed to the Protestant. Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644), while Claver was a young man, had issued a papal decree prohibiting slavery, nevertheless, slavery continued in the business of the New World. The very day that the Holy Virgin, to whom he was so tenderly devoted, entered time, the slave of Mary and of the Negroes entered eternity. Having finished his first Novitiate, Claver was sent to study philosophy on the College of Montesion (Mount Sion) in the city of Palma on the island of Majorca. In the history of God's Saints we read of heroic souls giving themselves as slaves in exchange for Christian captives. Spain brought a cease to trafficking in slaves in 1850. . He also shared a video on his Instagram, which is below the Today Show interview: WATCH the Inspiring Today Show Interview below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Wahlberg (@markwahlberg), Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell of Los Angeles, California, was killed on February 18th. ); but the claim that he was its bishop is an anachronism. But heaven could not resist the sighs of the saint as he stormed the throne of grace to melt their hearts. Another excess that occupied his zeal and caused him great anxiety was certain pagan festivals and rites that weak Christians sometimes slipped back into. He avoided food, rest and recreation and other pleasures popularly considered, lest such should divert him from his spiritual path. Worse still, kings encouraged rivals to crime so that they could be convicted and sold as criminals. #BreakingNews Housekeeper's Husband Admits to Murder of Beloved Catholic Bishop David O'Connell of Los Angeles, California, Prayer to St. Christopher for Safe Travels and Motorists, #BreakingNews a Catholic Priest and 3 Nuns Killed in a Car Accident in India - RIP, Pope Francis Explains how to Defeat the Devil's 3 Temptations "The divine Word that is Jesus answer to the temptation of the devil. St. Peter Claver was canonized in 1888. He never complains in any circumstances, for he is only an ass. Experiences like this were fairly common at the college with Brother Rodriguez, for his ecstasies were frequent and often public. It was their privilege to be the slaves of the slave of slaves. A civil rights violation? Two years later there was another miracle at the church, and then another, and another. 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