The Knights of Peter Claver and the Ladies Auxiliary Unit 301 Celebrate Black Catholic History Month St. Martin de Porres November 2013 St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church 551 Harwell Road, N.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30318 Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary In recognition of November 2013 Black Catholic History Month, St. Paul of the Cross Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary Unit 301, present this commemorative booklet of Black Catholic Saints, Popes, Bishops, Heroes and Heroines to the parishioners of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, Atlanta, Georgia. The online version can be found on the St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church website: www.saintpaulofthecross.org Saint of the Roman Catholic Church St. Peter Claver was born at Verdu, Catalonia, Spain, in 1580, of impoverished parents descended from ancient and distinguished families. He studied at the Jesuit college of Barcelona, entered the Jesuit novitiate at Tarragona in 1602 and took his final vows on August 8th, 1604. While studying philosophy at Majorca, the young religious was influenced by St. Alphonsus Rodriguez to go to the Indies and save "millions of perishing souls." In 1610, he landed at Cartagena (modern Colombia), the principle slave market of the New World, where a thousand slaves were landed every month. After his ordination in 1616, he dedicated himself by special vow to the service of the Negro slaves-a work that was to last for thirty-three years. He labored unceasingly for the salvation of the African slaves and the abolition of the Negro slave trade, and the love he lavished on them was something that transcended the natural order. 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. Through his efforts 300,000 souls entered the Church. Furthermore, he did not lose sight of his converts when they left the ships, but followed them to the plantations to which they were sent, encouraged them to live as Christians, and prevailed on their masters to treat them humanely. He died in 1654. St. Peter Claver sees Jesus Christ and the Virgin before his death. Black Saints of the Roman Catholic Church St. Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion from a former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions. His complete turnaround and conversion has been an inspiration to many who struggle with a particular vice or habit they long to break. This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. He was baptized, became a priest, a Bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest saints that ever lived. He became very devout and charitable, too. On the wall of his room he had the following sentence written in large letters: "Here we do not speak evil of anyone. http://www.catholic.org/saints St. Josephine Bakhita w as born in Sudan in 1869. This African flower, who knew the anguish of kidnapping and slavery, bloomed marvelously in Italy, in response to God's grace, with the Daughters of Charity, where everyone still calls her "Mother Moretta" (our Black Mother"). Mother Bakhita breathed her last on 8 February 1947 at the Canossian convent in Schio, surrounded by the sisters. A crowd quickly gathered at the convent to have a last look at their "Mother Moretta" and ask for her protection from heaven. The fame of her sanctity has spread to all the continents and many receive graces through her intercession. Josephine Bakhita was beatified on 17 May 1992, and Canonized on 1 October 2000. Feast Day: February 8. http://www.catholic.org/saints St. Moses the Black St Moses the Ethiopian was a former gang leader, murderer, and thief in ancient Africa. However, he became a model of transformation. His is one of the most inspiring stories among the African saints. Moses, an escaped slave, was the leader of a group of 75 robbers. He was a large and powerful man, who with his gang terrorized the entire region. Moses was transformed after he and his group attacked a monastery, intending to rob it. He was met by the abbot, whose peaceful and warm manner overwhelmed him. He immediately felt remorse for all his past sins, sincerely repented, and begged to remain at the monastery. http://www.mosestheblack.org/home1.html Black Saints of the Roman Catholic Church Saint Monica (AD 331 – 387), also known as Monica of Hippo , was an early Christian saint and the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She is honored in the Roman Catholic Church where she is remembered and venerated for her outstanding Christian virtues, particularly the suffering against the adultery of her husband, and a prayerful life dedicated to the reformation of her son, who wrote extensively of her pious acts and life with her in his Confessions . Feast Day August 27. http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Saint_Monica St. Charles Lwanga Charles was one of 22 Ugandan martyrs who converted from paganism. Though he was baptized the night before being put to death, he became a moral leader. He was the chief of the royal pages and was considered the strongest athlete of the court. He was also known as "the most handsome man of the Kingdom of the Uganda." He instructed his friends in the Catholic Faith and he personally baptized boy pages. He inspired and encouraged his companions to remain chaste and faithful. He protected his companions, ages 13-30, from the immoral acts and homosexual demands of the Babandan ruler, Mwanga. He was burned to death by Mwanga's order on June 3, 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Charles Lwanga and his companions on June 22, 1964. We celebrate his memorial on June 3rd of the Roman Calendar. Charles is the Patron of the African Youth of Catholic Action. http://www.savior.org/saints/lwanga.htm St. Martin de Porres St. Martin de Porres was born at Lima, Peru, in 1579. His father was a Spanish gentleman and his mother a colored freed-woman from Panama. At fifteen, he became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary at Lima and spent his whole life there-as a barber, farm laborer, almoner, and infirmarian among other things. Martin had a great desire to go off to some foreign mission and thus earn the palm of martyrdom. However, since this was not possible, he made a martyr out of his body, devoting himself to ceaseless and severe penances. In turn, God endowed him with many graces and wondrous gifts, such as, aerial flights and bilocation. St. Martin's love was all-embracing, shown equally to humans and to animals, including vermin, and he maintained a cats and dogs hospital at his sister's house. He also possessed spiritual wisdom, demonstrated in his solving his sister's marriage problems, raising a dowry for his niece inside of three day's time, and resolving theological problems for the learned of his Order and for Bishops. A close friend of St. Rose of Lima, this saintly man died on November 3, 1639 and was canonized on May 6, 1962. His feast day is November 3. Black Saints of the Roman Catholic Church Sts. Perpetua and Felicity With the lives of so many early martyrs shrouded in legend, we are fortunate to have the record of the courage of Perpetua and Felicity from the hand of Perpetua herself, her teacher Saturus, and others who knew them. This account, known as "The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity," was so popular in the early centuries that it was read during liturgies. Saints Perpetua and Felicity (believed to have died 7 March 203) are Christian martyrs of the 3rd century. Perpetua (born around 181) was a 22- year old married noblewoman and a nursing mother. Her co-martyr Felicity, an expectant mother, was her slave. They suffered together at Carthage in the Roman province of Africa, during the reign of Septimius Severus. Prayer: Saints Perpetua and Felicity, watch over all mothers and children who are separated from each other because of war or persecution. Show a special care to mothers who are imprisoned and guide them to follow your example of faith and courage. Amen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetua_and_Felicity African Popes of the Roman Catholic Church Pope St. Victor I , was elected pope in 189 and served for ten years to 199. He was the first Bishop of Rome born in the Roman Province of Africa—probably in Leptis Magna (or Tripolitania). He left a great legacy to the papacy and the church that can be summed up in three practices that touch our lives today. First, he set the date for the celebration of Easter on the liturgical calendar that combined the Egypt-Judeo heritage with the Christian heritage. Secondly, he promoted in the case of death and persecution a baptism with water from a spring, river or sea when a pagan wanted to accept Christ. And he was the first pope to use Latin as the official language of the Church in his writings, before the language was Greek. He died a martyr for the faith and was buried close to St. Peter in the Vatican. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15408a.htm Pope St. Melchiades (Miltidades) , a native of Africa, was pope from 311 until his death in 314, However, his importance to the history of the papacy is enormous.