Claver Hall, a residence hall dedicated to St. Peter Claver
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Claver Hall, a residence hall dedicated to St. Peter Claver
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Built in 1986, Claver Hall is a student residence hall at Loyola University Maryland. It was originally named Gardens C and served as one of four buildings in the Gardens Apartments student residences. In 2002, however, Gardens C was renamed Claver Hall in honor of St. Peter Claver.
The name change was part of a larger process where eleven residence halls were renamed “to reflect the Jesuit tradition of the campus and help to educate students and visitors of the important contributions these individuals have made,” according to then-President Rev. Harold Ridley, S.J. A committee chaired by Rev. Joseph Rossi, S.J. selected the new names. An article in They Greyhound, Loyola's student newspaper, notes that some students considered the name change unnecessary, though the student body president appreciated the “emphasis on the Jesuit tradition of values and ideals in the resident halls.” The article briefly describes Claver as ministering to "African slaves" who were "sick and dying."
St. Peter Claver was a Jesuit priest who spent the majority of his life stationed as a missionary in South America. Claver devoted himself to ministering to enslaved people arriving from West Africa each year, who endured horrific conditions on the brutal transatlantic crossing and arrival. During his life, he is said to have baptized more than 300,000 individuals. Claver cared for the physical needs of enslaved Africans when they arrived and on visits to local plantations, where he advocated for enslavers to treat enslaved people humanely.
Claver was, however, also a slaveholder, purchasing enslaved people to perform labor within his ministry. He also rented enslaved Africans from other enslavers for use in his ministry. According to some sources, Claver was known to physically punish enslaved people. Some scholars have reassessed his missionary work among enslaved people, questioning whether through baptism and stripping them of previous cultural ties, Claver's actions supported the slave economy.
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Red brick, three-story residence hall with six apartments.
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Loyola University Maryland Board of Trustees
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1986
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2002
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Loyola University Maryland Board of Trustees
Position: 1272 (58 views)