These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest, September 9

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. (Col 3:12-17)

It was Saint Peter Claver’s compassion that led him to devote his life to the slaves who were brought to Cartagena, Colombia. He treated them with dignity and respect and in his ministry he baptized 300,000. As a result of Saint Peter Claver’s ministry, today is the Day of Human Rights in Colombia.