Br. Pier Giorgio Dengler, O.P., on St. Peter Claver

"Though St. Peter Claver, SJ (1581-1654), was a very holy and remarkable man, he was 'forgotten' during his earthly life in the very city in which he toiled: Cartagena, Colombia. How is it possible to overlook someone who worked tirelessly for four decades - baptizing an estimated 300,000 slaves, visiting them frequently on their various plantations, and hearing perhaps 200,000 of their confessions in his lifetime? The explanation of both his pastoral success and his being forgotten is in large part the virtue of humility.

"He showed the slaves how to take their humiliation and convert it to true humility. He did not so much fight slavery in itself. Rather, he helped its victims transcend it, just as the Lord Jesus redeemed us by entering into slavery and conquering it with humble obedience to the Father. As St. Paul says,  '[Jesus Christ], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped at; rather he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him. . .' (Philippians 2:5-9)."

In a recent commentary, Brother Pier Giorgio Dengler, O.P., reflected on Saint Peter Claver (whose memory the Church celebrates today, 9 September) and his ministry.

To access Br. Pier Giorgio's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: The Humility of St. Peter (9 SEP 15)