St. Peter Claver, September 9
A Spanish Jesuit, Peter Claver (1580-1654) spent forty years in the port of Cartagena, Colombia, meeting slave ships as they arrived. He brought food, medicine and comfort to the enslaved Africans and baptized many thousands. He called himself “the slave of the slaves forever.”
On the U.S. liturgical calendar, September 9 is a memorial: Saint Peter Claver, priest.
September 9 on the calendar
September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (the 253rd in a leap year), with 113 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | Saturday |
| 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | Monday |
Keeping September 9
September 9 falls in summer. As a memorial, the saint is named in the opening prayer of every Mass celebrated that day. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival.
Saints of the week around September 9
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| September 6 | St. Magnus of Füssen |
| September 7 | St. Cloud |
| September 8 | Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| September 10 | St. Nicholas of Tolentino |
| September 11 | Sts. Protus and Hyacinth |
| September 12 | Most Holy Name of Mary |
The day before, September 8, is the day of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The day after, September 10, belongs to St. Nicholas of Tolentino. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.