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The Knights of Peter Claver, Inc. and Ladies Auxiliary is the largest African-American lay Catholic organization. The organization was founded by Josephite priests: Father Conrad F. Rebesher, S.J., Samuel J. Kelly, Joseph P. Van Baast and John H. Dorsey, and laymen: Gilbert Faustina, Frank Collins and Frank Trenierin in 1909 in Mobile, Alabama.

The organization is active in 34 states. It has 298 Councils (men divisions) and 312 Courts (ladies divisions). For youths between the ages of 7–18 years old, it has 123 Junior Councils (young men) and 208 Junior Courts (young ladies). The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary provides an opportunity for all parishioners to be actively involved in their Catholic faith by living the Gospel message. The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary engages in a variety of church and community service projects. It supports charitable appeals of many national and international organizations such as the NAACP and the United Negro College Fund, Catholic elementary and secondary schools and Xavier University in New Orleans.

The Order is named after St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest from Spain who ministered to African slaves in Cartegena, Colombia, South America, in the 1600s. Peter Claver is said to have converted over 300,000 slaves to Catholicism.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently renewed a grant to the organization to continue the National Environmental Health and Justice Literacy Project, a program designed to educate citizens of poor communities about environmental health hazards. The Knights of Peter Claver is a member of the worldwide International Alliance of Catholic Knights.

Goals of the Knights

• To support a local pastor, parish and bishop.
• To become active, as a group, in a Knights respective community.
• To instill civic pride & action.
• To engage Knights in opportunities that will allow them to demonstrate their Catholicism.
• To allow for social interaction by creating gatherings that might foster a sense of community.
• To provide for the awarding of scholarships.
• To develop the character of youth.
• To provide social and intellectual stimulation for its members

External links

• Knights of Peter Claver

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