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Even though ample missionary activities were documented during the 1950s in Slovenia, we now have the first presentation of the work of »The Society of Peter Claver for the African Missions« and its African collection. The society’s headquarters were located in Rome, and the Ljubljana branch operated from 1906 to its gradual phasing out after WWII.

The Society of St. Peter Claver was led by women, so-called assistant missionaries. The carefully selected members mainly dealt with collecting financial and material aid for African Missions. The Society had a good production of missionary propaganda material, for they published their own books, magazines, calendars and other printed material such as postcards and devotional pictures. Under the patronage of The Society of St. Peter Claver numerous theatre plays and public lectures on various African themes were organised. People could also visit the exhibition of African objects and missionary photographs at the Ljubljana offices on Metelkova 1.

The aforementioned African collection was presented for the first time in the book Echoes of Africa. The selection of objects provides a good reflection of the scope of operation of the various missionary organisations that were supported by The Society of St. Peter Claver in Africa. The objects originated from various areas ranging from Egypt to South Africa and even Madagascar. The book presents everyday objects, textile articles, Zulu jewellery, weapons, musical instruments, sculptures of divinities and ancestors as well as ritual objects. The African collection of The Society of St. Peter Claver includes approximately 160 objects and is on display in the Slovene Ethnographic Museum.

The book that was published in cooperation with the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum (Department for Africa and America) has also been translated into English. Its publication was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.

The book is on sale in the Slovene Museum of Christianity in Stična, the Slovene Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana and in all large bookshops in Slovenia.