Everyone was kind to me, Father Tolton recalled years later. He refused to be discouraged or to blame anyone. The Tolton family had remained regular worshippers at St. Peters. Learn how your comment data is processed. What message is God sending through repeated instances of human agony and crucifixion? We need good priests. In the end, to his surprise, he was sent back to where he had come from. But Father McGirr and the sisters who ran the school knew they needed to prepare both parents and students for the schools first black student. In the 1880s, a black man becoming a priest was thought to be impossible and, in fact, might never have been set in motion were there not a few priests and religious of courageous, visionary and unselfish choices made by them; Fathers Peter McGirr and Theodore Wegmann, School Sister of Notre Dame Herlinde Sick, Franciscan Fathers Michael Richardt and Francis Ostrop who were some of the best representatives of Catholics in action for their time. A blog for Catholic men that seeks to encourage virtue, the pursuit of holiness and the art of true masculinity. At the time Bishop Healy was ordained a priest, he identified as an Irish-American; it was not obvious from his appearance that he had any African-American ancestry, and no one outside of his mentors in the seminary knew that, legally, he was black. The Production If I say Ignatius wants to be a priest there are no exciting remarks. Renew or manage your subscription here. Augustus was seven years old when the Civil War began. So Gus was left to continue working at the cigar factory. A nation experimenting with democracy and certain notions of freedom was unable to process the dignity of black skin amidst the kaleidoscope of ethnic diversity emerging therein. Without a national program to assist the assimilation of freed slaves into the fabric of the country, its schools, social and educational institutions and politics were found generally off limits to blacks especially where whites were invested. He knew that there was a simmering resentment in his congregation. He expects to become a missionary priest in Africa. His parents were both slaves of Catholic families and had been married in the Catholic Church the same St. Peters where Augustus and his two siblings were baptized. But a Cardinal, Giovanni Simeoni in Rome said, America has been called the most enlightened nation; we'll see if it deserves that honor. The stone rejected had become a living stone, one upon which now future generations would build. 0000003727 00000 n Augustus Tolton Quote - Catholic Quote - Catholic nursery decor - Catholic Printable - digital download - Baptism gift $5.00 Add to cart 431 shop reviews Sort by: Suggested I must now give praise to that son of the Emerald Isle, Father Peter McGirr, pastor of St. Peters Church in Quincy, who promised me that I would be educated and who kept his word. Theme: Head Blog, Black (And Catholic) Like Me: Stories and Reflections on the Churchs Black Saints, Let em Speak On It: Reflections on Notable Quotes From Black Catholics, Prod. It is a haunting theme that runs through the Christian story, an indelible line in the Christian narrative, an interestingly powerful story that has as its banner, the cross. 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. I will pray for your grandson and I know the Jesuits will welcome him with open arms if that is his calling. Having already passed the states House of Delegates, the bill has only to be signed by Republican Gov. Rome wrote to Bishop Ryan for an explanation. Still, he went to Holy Mass as often as he could; he prayed daily. 1871: The Chicago Fire burned from Sunday, October 8 to Tuesday, October 10. A Better Way Forward, Heres a Bishop Doing Something Good, and More Great Links! 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. Just over three years after his triumphal return, Fr. 1882: The lower level of St. Marys Church in Chicago becomes Chicagos first Negro parish. His family escaped when he was a child and ran away to Illinois, a free state. McGirr knew the frustration and sadness that clung to the outwardly smiling Gus Tolton. We give our all to the Lord yet blacks are the most under evangelized Martha readily agreed that her husband must go and that some day they would all be together again, and free. In the beginning was the Word and words are the way that the Word can be better understood and communicated. He was born into slavery and escaped to freedom with his mother and siblings under harrowing circumstances. We have seen over the many years a variety of ways to confront the evil of racism, social protest violent and non-violent, academically through oratory, literature, prose and story-telling. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? We believers try to make sense of our own experiences of being victims along lifes way by gazing back at what happened to the Savior in his own mistreatment. Among the best known of these six is Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), the first recognized American Black priest. 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! WebTolton is a powerful multi-media live production, filled with music, drama and inspiring performances. 1889: Father Tolton begins his ministry in Chicago on December 19. She endeavors to free us of both. Here and there we are stunned by incidents of intolerance and racial hatred in places. Will These African Americans Be Canonized? WebTop Augustus Tolton Quotes I've always tried to do the smartest and best thing. The Church is broad and liberal. He lived the Gospel within adversity and he did so faithfully for his entire life in a simple and loving way. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Liked this post? Rev. In Chicago this year, the Haymarket Riot occurred on May 4 on Des Plaines Street north of Randolph Street. Augustus was born into slavery. During this period, only his mother and Fr. Father Augustus Tolton | CatholicSaints.Info, Fr. Blacks were considered inferior and were begrudgingly accepted, if at all, in the social groupings and institutions that made up America. 1859: Martha Jane and Peter Paul are given permission to marry by their respective masters at St. Peter log-cabin Church,Brush Creek, MO. Bishop Healy of Maine ordained in 1854 was of African and Irish parentage(her mother a freed slave). April 1, 1854 Sponsor this show, and be inspired by Father Augustus Tolton's perseverance and faith. Just remember that even though many people dont know his name, many people are praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. There are conflicting accounts of his journey to freedom. Augustus and his mother both worked at the Harris Cigar Factory. All Father McGirr had to do was find a seminary. Augustine Tolton was declared: Servant of God. She had colored saints Augustine, Benedict the Moor, Monica. They ran through several nights to the Mississippi River and Hannibal, Missouri, where they were about to be apprehended by Confederate soldiers before two Union soldiers stepped in to defend them. Society and the Church did not allow Tolton to do these priestly things so easily assigned to him. When she landed on the northern bank of the river she pulled her children to their knees and prayed: Now, you are free; never forget the goodness of the Lord. The formality of applying to a seminary proved, however, more complicated for the young recently freed slave, especially as there had never been a man of his race at any seminary in America. It was through the influence of one of them that I became what I am tonight. I will end with three quotes: America has been called the most enlightened nation in the world. %%EOF We cannot know the Christ unless we know him crucified, says St. Paul. Miracle Hunter Michael ONeill profiles the Bishop of the Barrios, Alphonse Gallegos. They were fleeing for their lives. THEY MIGHT BE SAINTS-VEN. That night they took an old row boat across the Mighty Mississippi while the Confederates shot at them from shore. 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. Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the Union Army. It was the priests of the Church who taught me to pray and to forgive my persecutors it was through the direction of a Sister of Notre Dame, Sister Herlinde, that I learned to interpret the Ten Commandments; and then I also beheld for the first time the glimmering light of truth and the majesty of the Church. 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. Proudly powered by WordPress | WebO God, we give you thanks for your servant and priest, Father Augustus Tolton, who labored among us in times of contradiction, times that were both beautiful and paradoxical. Cardinal Giovanni Simeoni announcing to the committee deciding where Tolton would be sent in the world after ordination. Your email address will not be published. It brings a message of hope and healing for the wounds that plague our culture. The title venerable recognizes that he lived a life of heroic virtue. 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. He was taken to a nearby hospital. He receives special instruction because he was far advanced over other students. He was declared venerable in 2019. Gus grew up quickly. Father Tolton was demeaned for reasons of his race and background. I would gladly leave here just to be away from this priest. The cross of Christ is a gift from God and an outward sign that His will is being followed. The story starts there at Calvary. Although the Venerable Augustus Tolton lived over a hundred years ago his spirituality still speaks to us with incredible clarity and inspirational vitality for our times. McGirr had wanted to ask him a question. Augustus Tolton was the first recognized African American Catholic priest. Ordained in Rome, Italy, April 24, 1886 0000012723 00000 n On 9 July 1897, he died as a priest should worn out in the care of his flock. Augustus Tolton, who labored among us in times of contradiction, times that were both beautiful A gentleness of spirit best describes his personality in such wise that the inquirer cannot detect any irritability in him. You need patience to do Gods will and receive what he has promised. [10, 32-33; 35-36]. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/father-augustus-tolton-america-s-first-black-priest, The Hope-Filled Legacy of the First Black Priest in the United States, EWTN Spotlight: The Story of Venerable Father Augustus Tolton Comes to TV. Tolton had brought to Quincy was now loosed upon a poor district of Chicagos south side. The young man looked embarrassed. Laid to rest on that July day in 1897, and having entered into the mysterious freedom of the Children of God where there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither freed nor slave Fr. Augustine Tolton: Americas First BlackPriest [], [] (. No one understood how impossible that was. Perhaps they had forgotten that it was there, decades earlier, that a frightened black woman had come with her three small children having fled slavery to find freedom, and where a hope for a better future was born for her and her children. But I was hoping to hear something about his cause for Sainthood. BOOK PICK: Father Josh Johnsons On Earth as It Is in Heaven, Hawley asked Garland whether the Department of Justice is cultivating sources and spies in Latin Mass parishes and other Catholic parishes around the country.. Fr. Father Tolton is a saint for doing things priests do, namely, care for people, ministering to their desperate needs, anointing them with the saving graces of the sacraments, forgiving their sins, preaching a word that works to transform the Church to its more authentic face before the world and describe for people how they can give an authentic response to God in genuine discipleship. They were being shot at. 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. A funeral also occurred at St. Peter Church in Quincy on July 13. Tolton is a patron for BLACKCATHOLIC. Augustus Tolton is a pioneer African American Catholic who was not only the first priest of acknowledged African descent to serve anywhere in the United States but one who navigated the choppy waters of racial acceptance endemic to 19th century America and modeled for us how to be Christians amidst the social inconsistencies of that former time with his faith, hope and love found in the end to be intact. We may not be Around his bedside were the hospital chaplain who had administered the Last Rites, some nuns praying, and his mother. In June 2019, Pope Francis advanced the cause when he issued a decree declaring him venerable.. Before anything else, however, the nearest Catholic Church, St. Peters, was identified and the family started to worship there. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. The Cardinal overruled the previous decision to send him to Africa. They settled in Quincy, Illinois, a major stop on the Underground Railroad. If the United States has never before seen a black Venerable Augustus Tolton. Just outside the train station he had been seen to stumble and then collapse on the city street. He faced opposition notably from within the Christian community, the one institution he should have been able to rely upon for compassion and support. We desperately need more priests from the US. This same year, Mary Jane Patterson graduates from Oberlin College in Ohio and becomes the first black woman to graduate from an American college. 63 0 obj <> endobj xref 63 23 0000000016 00000 n 1`' E,D2`%XX\DrE +LRZ*IF `6J5=@ 6w ):www.catholicgentleman.com [], Your email address will not be published. f$d (qAD@B ?CFV3vn`e6yDXSR!rR$49PA>']"\jph%R,)aX2 |l++E}wM~Jhe. His temperament allowed him to rejoice in the Lord while under trial. In July 1886, Fr. 0000003050 00000 n Augustus Tolton. This victimization is placed on the altar of worship daily through the lives of people all over. Fr. Our Lady teaches us to place our faith and trust Jesus. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. 1868: Augustus Tolton enrolled in St. Peter School, Quincy, Illinois. Mrs Henderson, please know that your grandson will be in my prayers. On the other hand, Christians worship a suffering Messiah and so have theologized about this conundrum over the course of two thousand years and counting. This same year, the Census of 1880 showed the U.S. population at 50 million with a Black population of 6.5 million (13%). The record of his life is absent any show of retaliation toward anyone or anything. His mom and dad were Catholic. As he did so he gazed at the three children sleeping and began to talk of his hopes for their future, one in which they would be free. At times you were publicly exposed to insult and trial; at other times you associated yourselves with those who were being so dealt with do not, then surrender your confidence; it will have great reward. Fr. For the time being, local priests tutored Augustus privately in between his work at both the cigar factory and as a janitor at St. Peters. 19th century America placed dark skin at the bottom of the color pyramid. Sunday in a TweetShell for the Gospel for the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) [February 12, 2023] Matthew 5:17-37, Sunday in a TweetShell for the Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) [February 5, 2023] Matthew 5:13-16, Black (And Catholic) Like Me: Stories and Reflections on the Church's Black Saints, Let 'em Speak On It: Reflections on Notable Quotes From Black Catholics. We may not be connected by hand but we are always connected by heart. The 19th century, with its many church denominations, aligned itself with the prevailing mood of the time. 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