Blog

These past months we have and continue to witness unrest developing and progressing across our country.  As Christians, we cannot turn a blind eye to what is unfolding in which our reaction should be one with uniting in solidarity with those oppressed, educating ourselves of the root of the problem while promoting authentic and loving relationships with our brothers/sisters in Christ.    

As such, we need to profess and respect every human life in which the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design. and yet try to profess and respect every human life.” (CCC 1936)

I have always thought, believed, and lived by – “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem!”  Note – It was also my senior High School yearbook quote! 

As Christians, we must make a conscience effort to be part of the solution but also not add to the problem by tearing each other or others’ domains down.

One such Saint who was part of the solution was St. Peter Claver whose memorial was celebrated on 9 September 2020.  He was an apostolate among black slaves in the country of Columbia, vowing to be “the slave of the blacks forever.”

Peter Claver was born at Verdu, near Barcelona, Spain in 1580.  In 1596, he began his studies in arts and letters at the University of Barcelona.  In 1602 he entered the Society of Jesus – the Jesuits.  With the help of Saint Alphonsas Rodrigues, porter of the Jesuit College of Majorca, Spain, Peter heard and followed the call to the missions.  In 1616 he was ordained to the priesthood in the Mission of the Republic of Columbia.  During the 40 years of his ministry, it is estimated he personally baptized 300,000 and heard the confessions of over 5,000 slaves per year.   He was a moral and physical force for the black slave.  Cartegena, Columbia, was one of the main thoroughfares for slave ships to come to port.  Thousands would come off the infested ships and Father Claver would tend to the ill and mal treated slaves with medicines and food.  With the help of interpreters, he also assured his brothers and sisters in Christ of their human dignity and God’s love.  Father Claver carried on the apostolate work among the slaves until his death at Cartagena on 8 September 1654.  He was canonized by Pope Leo XII in 1888 and became the patron saint of slaves, Patron of the republic of Columbia in 1896 and ultimately also became the ministry to African Americans.

St. Peter Claver stood up for peace, stood up for the dignity of all human persons, and stood up to social and cultural injustice.  He is considered a heroic Christian example of love and the application of human rights for all of us – regardless of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion.  St. Peter Claver was truly part of the solution during a period of social and cultural injustice in our world.  The Congress of the Republic of Colombia declared September 9 as the Human Rights National Day in his honor. 

Finally, as I contemplated on the life of St. Peter Claver for several days it was very fitting that an intercession from the Liturgy of the Hours for Sunday evening prayers I, week IV, can inspire and affect all of us as we open wide our hearts to being part of the solution:

“Protect and defend those who are being discriminated against because of race, color, class, language or religion – that they may be accorded the rights and dignity which are theirs; we pray – Look on us with favor Lord, and hear us”.                                                

Blessings – Dcn Jim