In 1888, at the request of Archbishop John Ireland, Fr. John Slattery, rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, held a sixweek mission for the African American community of St. Paul. Many of those who attended this “converts mission” became the founding members of St. Peter Claver, the first predominantly African American parish in the Archdiocese. In 1892, a larger church was built near the southwest corner of Farrington and Aurora. The incorporation documents for the parish were signed by Colonel Samuel Hardy, founder and editor of the first African American newspaper west of Chicago, Frederick L. McGhee, a lawyer, and Fr. Edward Casey, the first permanent pastor. The parish continued to grow and thrive. For 22 years, Fr. Stephen Louis Theobald, the first Black priest ordained for the Archdiocese, served as pastor. The parish moved to its present location after World War II. The school opened in 1950. It was open to all students, regardless of race, financial status or creed. The new church opened in time for Easter 1957. Today, St. Peter Claver continues its mission is to be a faith home for African American Catholics. People of all races and ethnic backgrounds are welcome.