Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver
The Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver inaugurated the first Council of their Order in the Diocese of Raleigh with the permission of Bishop Michael Burbidge on April 19th. This is a Catholic Action group founded by four Josephite Priests and three laymen in Mobile, Alabama in 1909. It is the nation’s largest African American Catholic lay organization, with 1000 units in 39 States.
The Order is named after St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest who ministered to the slaves in Cartagena, Colombia. This seaport was part of the “ Middle Passage,” where approximately 1,000 slaves landed every month.
The Order’s membership is comprised of Catholic family members and clergy, including the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The Order is open to all practicing Catholics and has members of various ethnic and racial groups. The local Order in its founding reflects this diversity.
Some of the objectives of the Order are to be a staunch supporter of the Bishop of the Diocese and its pastors and to encourage lay apostolic action. The Order has aligned with the The National Black Catholic Congress to establish a Pro-Life movement within the Black community.
The Order also supports Xavier University in New Orleans, established by Saint Katherine Drexel. The United Negro College Fund is also supported by the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver, and it sponsors the “ Tree of Life” Foundation to aid the relief and cure of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and to enhance and increase religious vocations.
The Order donated $100,000 for the construction of the Shrine to Our Lady of Africa in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, where so many faithful of our Diocese recently made a pilgrimage.
The Order meets at Sacred Heart Cathedral, and all of the Cathedral clergy are members.
- Msgr. Thomas P. Hadden