The Sanctuary of San Pedro Claver in Verdú, province of Lleida, Catalonia, is a religious site of great historical and spiritual importance. Built in the 18th century in honor of St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit missionary dedicated to the defense of the rights of African slaves, the sanctuary offers a neoclassical architecture with a church and a bell tower. Every September 9, the feast of St. Peter Claver is celebrated with masses, processions and religious activities. In addition to its religious value, the sanctuary is a destination for pilgrims and tourists, who can enjoy guided tours, spiritual retreats and cultural activities. Surrounded by a natural environment of great beauty, with hills, fields and forests, the Sanctuary of San Pedro Claver is a meeting place between the material and the spiritual, where believers unite in adoration and honor to the divine.
St. Peter Claver (1580-1654) entered the Society of Jesus in Barcelona at the age of 22. In 1610 he left for the American colonies, landing in Cartagena de Indias, in present-day Colombia. There he dedicated himself to serving the poorest and most despised members of society: the enslaved Africans. He recognized himself as “slave of the black slaves forever”. He gave an unmistakable example of human and evangelical love for his beloved slaves. In the brutal and inhuman 17th century that raged against black Africans, St. Peter Claver always considered them human beings worthy of every attention. Pope Leo XIII, who canonized him in 1888, said: “After the life of Christ, no life has moved me so deeply as that of Peter Claver”.
- Address
Carrer Sant Pere Claver 30, Verdú, Lleida - Web
https://www.jesuites.net/es/pagina/santuario-y-casa-natal-de-sant-pedro-claver - Visiting Hours
Please call +34 973 347 101 to arrange a visit. - What to see
Birthplace of St. Peter Claver
