Tolton, a man of deep feeling, viewed himself a priest for anyone and everyone who approached the Church for the grace and mercy of God. Theres ALOT more to his story, but I just wanted to have this much here. I am so glad that I now belong to the diocese where Father Tolton was ordained and where he is buried. During these relatively carefree years, the only question was where he would be posted. We may not be The future for the Tolton family began to become clearer when the Civil War finally ended with victory for the North and an end to slavery throughout the United States. But bitterness was alien to Toltons soul. He thrived. What message is God sending through repeated instances of human agony and crucifixion? The title venerable recognizes that he lived a life of heroic virtue. Catholic Church. Cause website: https://tolton.archchicago.org. We shall see whether it deserves that honor. We are inspired by Toltons courage and innocent determination in face of incredible race prejudice typical of that bygone era but for which we now take as a source of inspiration for the work that remains in the 21st century. That passage from the letter to the Hebrews must have resonated in Toltons heart: Recall the days gone by when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great contest of suffering. He was always conscious that his vocation was as a result of his mothers example and the Christian home she had provided for him, in spite of everything. He knew that there was a simmering resentment in his congregation. 309 0 obj <>stream 0000005833 00000 n The cross of Christ is a gift from God and an outward sign that His will is being followed. He showed himself a priest-servant to both black and white at a time when it was not socially appropriate or lawful to do so. Augustine Tolton was now, at last, truly free. The truth is He is not only a priest in the order of Melchizedek order but a victim and this is united as one reality of His identity. On 21 February 1880, Gus left America bound for Europe, destined to be a missionary in Africa. He suffered genuinely in that these priestly things were administered from a black face, black hands and a black heart. Great website-Father Tolten was not the first black in America. "|@i[W]utmvpsN)YtB@,=: Augustine Tolton 1872: Augustus Tolton graduated from St. Peter School at age 18. Augustus, his mother, and three brothers and sisters escaped to the North where they could live as free 1897: Father Tolton dies at Mercy Hospital in Chicago on July 9. Racial prejudice was not confined to the South. His father, Peter, was an honest and good man well liked by his slave owner for whom he worked hard. Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the Union Army. Only one person Virginia,who volunteers for the Jesuits she is praying for his priesthood daily with me. That day, however, there was one who stood apart from the crowd and quietly watched with tears in her eyes as her son returned to her a priest. I am praying for the smooth cause of his sainthood. But society could not perceive nor accept that he was a priest for both black and white. New York Times, November 11, 1889, The Catholic Church deplores a double slavery that of the mind and that of the body. They embraced. A Better Way Forward, Heres a Bishop Doing Something Good, and More Great Links! Around his bedside were the hospital chaplain who had administered the Last Rites, some nuns praying, and his mother. His time in Quincy, though, was short-lived. Religious orders were also tried, but to no avail. Mass is celebrated there until 1889. HLN1y After many years he was eventually accepted at a Pontifical university in Rome. Bishop Baltes then appealed to the Urban College in Rome, but this international seminary also suggested that Augustus attend seminary in the United States. He had won his freedom first by flight and his priesthood by perseverance. He was born into slavery and escaped to freedom with his mother and siblings under harrowing circumstances. Here they joined the closest Catholic church, the German parish of St. Boniface. Having already passed the states House of Delegates, the bill has only to be signed by Republican Gov. Learn about six holy lives in an upcoming EWTN documentary. Having picked up German in Quincy, he was to leave Europe with French and Italian mastered, to say nothing of Latin. One account, in Wikipedia, says Stephen Elliot freed his slaves at the outbreak of the Civil War. Standing at the altar the priest talks to God in conversation about his only begotten Sons victimization so that sins may be forgiven. Blacks were considered inferior and were begrudgingly accepted, if at all, in the social groupings and institutions that made up America. 0000002077 00000 n They settled in Quincy, Illinois, a major stop on the Underground Railroad. Gus grew up quickly. Big family! Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. He abuses me in many ways She is the Church for our people. But I was hoping to hear something about his cause for Sainthood. Father Augustus Tolton | CatholicSaints.Info, Fr. 0000009119 00000 n Jim Justice to become law. Your email address will not be published. We stand in the shadow of his ministry. The Church is broad and liberal. The musical Passion play comes to the big screen as a Fathom event on March 6 and 7. Proudly powered by WordPress | It was the same church where he had served Mass and given catechism classes after he had finished his work at the local factory. Toltons legacy says to us that transformation is possible through suffering. Web1882: The lower level of St. Marys Church in Chicago becomes Chicagos first Negro parish. hb```b``^ @167}beP,`~ F The story starts there at Calvary. His parents were Catholics, so he too was baptised into his parents Holy Faith. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Learning From Father Toltons Example: Cultivating Racial Reconciliation in the Body of Christ, Merrick Garland Grilled on Anti-Catholic, Pro-Abortion Bias During Senate Hearing, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, In the Beginning Are the Words: Logos, Language and Liberty, West Virginia Passes Religious Freedom Restoration Act, The Thorn Brings Christs Passion to the Big Screen in a New Way. He is the creator and host of the EWTN television series They Might Be Saints and author of the book They Might Be Saints (EWTN Publishing 2021) about Americans on the path to sainthood and the search for canonization miracles. Saints arise from the exigencies of the eras within which they live. Ted Turner Dedication Whether side by side or miles apart we are sisters. By all accounts, his mother, having continued to work as a priests housekeeper died an equally holy death in 1911. They started with the Franciscans who had a monastery in a nearby town, but they were the first to reject Augustus. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or He could smile to the world while suffering; his gentle spirit essentially emanating from an inner disposition of goodness. Father Tolton modeled all this in its fullness and this is why he is remembered to this day especially in the black Catholic community. Before anything else, however, the nearest Catholic Church, St. Peters, was identified and the family started to worship there. She endeavors to free us of both. My advice is praying the holy rosary because our Blessed Mother is powerful in obtaining graces from God so that we may be faithful in doing our Fathers will in Christ through the Holy Spirit. hbbd```b``f3@$R"5A$K>V&$DX&pEMAd2L`IF/]L@iLS5@ vh He was declared venerable in 2019. Mrs Henderson, please know that your grandson will be in my prayers. 1886: Augustus Tolton was ordained at St. John America has been called the most enlightened nation in the world. Toltons sanctity emerges from an experience of the cross. Lesley Jones I'm not mad. Father Tolton was not the first black (priest) in America. 0000004840 00000 n In the case of Augustus Tolton it is the long period of black slavery in this country and the nations Civil War foisting a resolution to uncompensated black servitude and the tumultuous period of Reconstruction of a nation torn to shreds over this issue. In his priesthood, Tolton embraced the life of Christ. The Civil War had just begun. ~z'bct3rCYv kt\L@w !^tJa`stV^Oq!^6 zQP04ib@jhXZ8@%`fH &r\\d0Sa+llHV3BRS$h1M 'q"@SX80X?`pAA2f& G5c $uCV*L*XC`]*(x'@ ] endstream endobj 64 0 obj <>>> endobj 65 0 obj <> endobj 66 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 67 0 obj <> endobj 68 0 obj <>stream 19th century America placed dark skin at the bottom of the color pyramid. If I say Ignatius wants to be a priest there are no exciting remarks. They leave us with good thoughts and smiles on our faces; each of them with a strong sense of justice pushing critically through the moral and ethical paradoxes of those times; each of them unafraid to permit their pastoral efforts to be reflective of their views and values. Just outside the train station he had been seen to stumble and then collapse on the city street. April 1, 1854 In Rome, he was Gus from the U.S., loved by his fellow seminarians and admired for his deep spirituality by his teachers. Exorcist Responds to Sensationalized Russell Crowe Exorcism Film on Father Amorth, Ash Wednesday Breaks All the Rules of Modern ChurchThink, and More Great Links! They were being shot at. WebFather Augustus Tolton was a priest who, for the love of souls, tore down a racial barrier, reluctantly and single-handedly, on direct orders from Rome. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. He receives special instruction because he was far advanced over other students. The 19th century, with its many church denominations, aligned itself with the prevailing mood of the time. He died at the age of 43 on July 9, 1897 after collapsing the previous day upon returning from a priests retreat during heat wave that swept the city that year. This has become, unfortunately, an indelible stigma in the American psyche. PRAYERS CARDS, NEWLETTERS, AND BROCHURES: For prayer cards, newsletters, and brochures, call 312.534.8376 or write Bishop Joseph N. Perry at the Archdiocese of Chicago: 3525 South Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60653. https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/title/from-slave-to-priest-1#, http://www.dio.org/tolton/tolton/videos-about-father-tolton.html, https://www.ltp.org/p-2539-father-augustus-tolton-a brief-biography-of-a-faithful-priest-and-former-slave.aspx, Call 312.534.8376 or writeBishop Joseph N Perry, Archdiocese of Chicago, 3525 South Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60653. I appealed to Bishop Ryan and he also advises me to go elsewhere.. At night the river looked deeper than ever as the woman rowed across it with her three small children. Tolton at this time and stayed with him and his mother who by then also had come to be live in Chicago as her sons housekeeper. Martha readily agreed that her husband must go and that some day they would all be together again, and free. 1`' E,D2`%XX\DrE +LRZ*IF `6J5=@ 6w His was a quiet approach, a novel ministry to black and white together and he was, unfortunately, resented for it. If America has never seen a black priest it has to see one now! With these prophetic words the assignment orders for Father Tolton changed from some place in Africa back to Quincy, Illinois in the Diocese of Alton. Their efforts were remarkable in face of those odds and likely those odds could have proven too high to overcome. The next day Father Tolton said his first Mass, with thousands left standing outside since there was no more room in the church. Just over three years after his triumphal return, Fr. It was through the influence of one of them that I became what I am tonight. Augustus was born into slavery. It was through the influence of one of them that I became what I am tonight. Name and understand the four cardinal virtues. We gaze at the crucifix to find a source of meaning. Father Augustus Tolton, you whose life demonstrated the fruit of the Holy Spirits gifts of fortitude and perseverance, pray for my strength and perseverance as I cry out for Gods mercy for (state your intention here). Pray Father Augustus Tolton that God will hear my cry and answer me according to His will. Amen! In this Church we do not have to fight for our rights because we are black. Tolton is a patron for BLACKCATHOLIC. Father Augustus Tolton was the first identified black American ordained to the priesthood in the United States. Father Tolton was demeaned for reasons of his race and background. This same year, Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi becomes the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate. This same year, Mary Jane Patterson graduates from Oberlin College in Ohio and becomes the first black woman to graduate from an American college. The holy family fled at night into Eygpt to spare His life from Heord so our Blessed Lord was born in a cave which no one would expect for the King of kings. O God, we give you thanks for your servant and priest, Fr. 1852:Harriet Beecher Stowes novel about the horrors of slavery, Uncle Toms Cabin, is published and sells 300,000 copies in the first year. His congregation was largely poor, ill-educated ex-slaves, with all the resultant ills of depression and violence attending those who, for varying reasons, had given up on life. Among the best known of these six is Fr Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), the first recognized American Black priest. trailer <]/Prev 469030>> startxref 0 %%EOF 85 0 obj <>stream 1880 Augustus Tolton departs for Rome on February 15 to enter the seminary at the Collegium Urbanum de Propaganda Fide. This same year, President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation legally frees all slaves in the Confederacy. He had every reason to become embittered. I am a 72 year old african american grandmother. I will pray for your grandson Ignatius in his discernment of his call to the priesthood. 1878: Augustus Tolton enrolls in St. Francis College, now Quincy University. As he looked at the face of the young man he noticed somethingLater he asked Gus what he had been praying about. Renew or manage your subscription here. God must be watching to what has happened to Jews, African Americans, Native Americans, indeed anyone and everyone who has sought freedom, be they white, black or brown, this side of the world to over on the other side of the world. It takes a strong person of faith to place their suffering on the paten and in the chalice of the sacrifice we offer each day. We find no evidence of outburst in him in face of what he endured. And, with that, one of her children, Augustine Tolton, later to become the first African-American to be ordained priest, was freed. Banners announcing the Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton as the first African American diocesan priest were displayed in locations around the City of Chicago that had special significance for Father Tolton's life and legacy. With his bishops approval, the young priest set about raising funds for a church. Tolton always showed himself refined maintained undoubtedly by a great fortitude of spirit within. 0000001549 00000 n endstream endobj 263 0 obj <. And exactly how the Toltons became free is a bit confusing. He attended out of-the-way classes taught by friendly priests and nuns who saw in his eyes the bright spark of the love of God, a tender devotion to the Church and a determination to serve people whether black or white. 0000001605 00000 n The crucifixion of Jesus reminds us that black suffering is a means through which God has loved his dark children. THEY MIGHT BE SAINTS-VEN. The funeral was at St. Monica Church, 36th and Dearborn Street on July 12. The Parish Priest was an Irishman, Brian McGirr, and he was having none of it. Michael ONeill Michael ONeill is a radio and television host, author, and creator of the website MiracleHunter.com, the top online resource on miracles. Both black and white, Catholic and non-Catholic came to see the young man who had left a much-loved friend and fellow worker and who now returned in a black soutane with a red sash. Being the first black Catholic priest he was thrust as the first in a long line of black leaders who summoned the Church to embrace its black brothers and sisters. He knew the human heart was weak; he knew too that the Church was unimpeachable in its treatment of all as brothers and sisters in Christ but that she was made up of sinners, and so human frailty was never far away. I will end with three quotes: America has been called the most enlightened nation in the world. He also found a cultured and holy priest, one who complained of nothing and prayed for everything. By BLACKCATHOLIC: My Writings Featured On Other Catholic Platforms, BLACKCATHOLIC Fervorinos: Brief Faith Talks to Get Your Faith Going videos Links and Transcripts, To The Questions You Might Have About BLACKCATHOLIC, Holy Brothers: Black Catholic Men Saints and Holy Ones, Saintly Sistas: Black Catholic Women Saints and Holy Ones, Patron Saint of BLACKCATHOLIC: Ven. We presented to the Church Tolton as a model Christian and priest during a time of paradox, an era of social deficits that attempted to derail his priestly ministry. Catch a new episode of They Might Be Saints.. The authorities in Rome could see no reason why he could not minister to his co-religionists there, not least those of his own race. McGirr was keen to progress this proposition. A 72 year old African American elected to the priesthood in the black community. Also tried, but I just wanted to have this much here however! Man he noticed somethingLater he asked Gus what he had been praying about, 36th Dearborn. 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