Our Saint was born in the beautiful countryside of Verdu in Catalonia, Spain in or around 1581. There's not much known about his childhood, other than he was born of a distinguished old family of Catalonia. However, his family instilled in him the love of Jesus and the love of his fellow man. Otherwise, how could he possibly have dedicated his life to helping the poorest of the poor, the lowest of the low. From an early age, it was well known that he was destined to live his life for the Church. So when he was old enough, he was enrolled in the University of Barcelona. He proved himself to be an excellent student and graduated with honors, receiving minor orders. Where to go from there? The Lord knew. The Society of Jesus, product of a Spanish Saint, Ignatius Loyola, and our Lord Jesus, had just been approved in 1540, about sixty years before, and was a very popular Religious Order in the eyes of the young, especially in Spain. In the time of Peter Claver, they were doing all kinds of exciting things. Francis Xavier had left the original Society to go and evangelize the pagans in India and China. Other members of the Jesuit community had begun evangelization in the wilds of Canada in 1571, prior to Peter's birth. All this news, coming back to the university, of the activities of the Jesuits, made them a romantic, and desirable Order to spend his life with.