augustus tolton quotes

Augustus Tolton was the first recognized African American Catholic priest. 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. 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. It is precisely this point where Easter faith begins. 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. His books include Exploring the Miraculous, 365 Days with Mary and 20 Answers: Apparitions and Revelations. But a Cardinal, Giovanni Simeoni in Rome said, America has been called the most enlightened nation; we'll see if it deserves that honor. 1886: Augustus Tolton was ordained at St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome on April 24 and was told he would return as a missionary to his home country of the United States in Quincy, Illinois. Renew or manage your subscription here. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Augustus Tolton, who labored among us in times of contradiction, times that were both beautiful WebIt was said that I would be the only priest of my race in America and would not likely succeed, Tolton once wrote. Shockingly, as we turn the page of the sacred story we find a new chapter unguessed and unforeseen: God forgave us even after what we did to his Son. The cross of Christ is the Fathers will and was present even at His miraculous birth.No one can earn or has a right to the priesthood because it is not career but rather a vocation,consequently a calling from God Himself. Father Tolton could find joy under trial and be himself simultaneously an encourager of others with their trials. We may not be Tolton had asked to be buried in Quincy. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. The Saintly Life of Father Augustus Tolton - Catholic Exchange He was born on the Hagar farm in Bush Creek, Missouri, in 1854. At 16, he made his First Communion and started to think about the priesthood. 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. He was born a slave in Missouri and escaped to Quincy, Illinois, through the Underground Railroad. That was not an unusual sight; however, that day there was a change. We give our all to the Lord yet blacks are the most under evangelized }eL1@H32e`x 20 +/M K. V. Turley is a London based freelance writer and filmmaker with a degree in theology from the Maryvale Institute. He suffered genuinely in that these priestly things were administered from a black face, black hands and a black heart. He also found time to help start a Catholic school for Blacks. Tolton lived in reduced circumstances. The Faith is more than bricks and mortar, however, and, in 2011, after an initial investigation at the behest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Fr. A blog for Catholic men that seeks to encourage virtue, the pursuit of holiness and the art of true masculinity. Rome wrote to Bishop Ryan for an explanation. His fellow students loved him too, and his professors held him in high regard. ):www.catholicgentleman.com [], Your email address will not be published. In this Church we do not have to fight for our rights because we are black. During these relatively carefree years, the only question was where he would be posted. At the end of the evening, when dinner had finished, the visitor observed how the younger priest took a set of Rosary beads hanging from a nail on a wall nearby and, with his mother beside him, knelt on the stone floor to recite that ancient prayer just as they always had done, not least when they had arrived frightened and anxious having fled slavery those years previously. The young white boy the same age group gets all the attention because he wants to be a priest. Funds were raised and the basis of a great and beautiful church, St. Monicas, dedicated to the service of the citys black population was started. As an ambulance was called, a crowd gathered around the unusual sight of a black man dressed in a faded cassock. He had won his freedom first by flight and his priesthood by perseverance. WebVenerable Fr. The Gospel offers one approach, one that enjoins loving our enemies, doing good to those who mistreat us, approaching every man, woman and child out of genuine respect, honoring their dignity as a human being and as fellow brother and sister in Christ. Why the Devil Hates the Blessed Virgin So Much (And Why You Should Love Her). That was dangerous enough but they were being pursued. He abuses me in many ways He never was to study at a seminary in the United States. St. Monicas, the church for which her son had expended so much energy and time, was abandoned in 1924 and later raised to the ground. 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. Augustus, his mother, and three brothers and sisters escaped to the North where they could live as free 63 0 obj <> endobj xref 63 23 0000000016 00000 n Augustine Tolton was alone on a night train in a segregated carriage heading to Chicago where he had been assigned to care for that citys growing black population. As this article reminds us though, we are a church made up of sinners, and we are all in need of prayer as well. Learn about six holy lives in an upcoming EWTN documentary. Having already passed the states House of Delegates, the bill has only to be signed by Republican Gov. But bitterness was alien to Toltons soul. God bless your grandson, Mrs. Henderson! His beatification we hope will provide renewed impetus within the African American Catholic community in the United States; as one of our own being raised to mention at the altar will send a spiritual recharge to the hope of African American Catholics that we need at this time and have needed for quite some time. Father Augustus Tolton | CatholicSaints.Info, Fr. 0000002077 00000 n Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization Interviewed by the St. Thomas More Cougar Cast Student Show for Black History Month! Some were surprised that he had chosen to be buried in the town that had shunned him. His temperament allowed him to rejoice in the Lord while under trial. 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. hb```f`` AX,3>71-``^ 9o&fR%'0Htt0pt40 )d]@ LV@ZF20g,p,9L3]fp$yW The couple were never to see each other again; the children were never again to play with their father. 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. 262 0 obj <> endobj monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. 1878: Augustus Tolton enrolls in St. Francis College, now Quincy University. This same year, Jane Addams establishes Hull House in Chicago. I will end with three quotes: America has been called the most enlightened nation in the world. Augustus was born of the marriage union of two slaves, Peter Paul Tolton and his wife Martha Jane, in Ralls County, Missouri, April 1, 1854. Having picked up German in Quincy, he was to leave Europe with French and Italian mastered, to say nothing of Latin. trailer <]/Prev 469030>> startxref 0 %%EOF 85 0 obj <>stream 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. In that social inequities remain apparent in our times Tolton offers strident Christians a model of deportment that is useful in what it can mean for the reconciliation of the races. Jesus saved the world precisely as a victim not as a celebrity or military general. We stand in the shadow of his ministry. Miracle Hunter Michael ONeill profiles the Bishop of the Barrios, Alphonse Gallegos. Among the best known of these six is Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), the first recognized American Black priest. They started with the Franciscans who had a monastery in a nearby town, but they were the first to reject Augustus. Name and understand the four cardinal virtues. They were fleeing for their lives. Sponsor this show, and be inspired by Father Augustus Tolton's perseverance and faith. The Sacred Congregation for Causes of Saints at the Vatican grants the title Servant of God to Father Augustus Tolton and orders that the Archdiocese of Chicago proceed with the Diocesan Inquiry into his life and virtues. Cardinal Giovanni Simeoni announcing to the committee deciding where Tolton would be sent in the world after ordination. This same year, President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation legally frees all slaves in the Confederacy. Written By: Augustus Tolton, in full John Augustine Tolton, also called Augustine John Tolton and Father Gus, (born April 1, 1854, Brush Creek, Ralls county, Mo., U.S.died July 9, 1897, Chicago, Ill.), American religious leader who is regarded as the first African American ordained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church (see Researchers Note). 1870: Augustus Tolton was confirmed in St. Peter Church at age 16 and likely received his First Communion. He loved his time in the Eternal City. New York Times, November 11, 1889, The Catholic Church deplores a double slavery that of the mind and that of the body. Ted Turner Dedication Whether side by side or miles apart we are sisters. 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. Augustus and his mother both worked at the Harris Cigar Factory. Fr. In todays Catholic Church the same problems exist. He was, however, the first priest whose identity as an African-American was publicly acknolwedged at the time of his ordination. His father, Peter, was an honest and good man well liked by his slave owner for whom he worked hard. WebTolton is a powerful multi-media live production, filled with music, drama and inspiring performances. And somehow and in some way our historic suffering must benefit or have benefited some body, some cause, only God knows. 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. Augustine Tolton was declared: Servant of God. People were unable to see the evangelical side to this novel situation of a black priest and the advantages it afforded church and society. America has been called the most enlightened nation in the world. hb```w@(cy]F `y5m\,?pc, @410i1 ap$SS?A70Ma*|lq?3f 020EiF r0 ,. Web1882: The lower level of St. Marys Church in Chicago becomes Chicagos first Negro parish. Born in Brush Creek, Ralls County, Missouri When, finally, the Tolton family arrived in the Illinois town of Quincy, they were to live in a segregated neighbourhood. Only one person Virginia,who volunteers for the Jesuits she is praying for his priesthood daily with me. 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. Here they joined the closest Catholic church, the German parish of St. Boniface. He receives special instruction because he was far advanced over other students. The touching story of Augustus Tolton reminds us of the glaring social deficits of a former time. No one understood how impossible that was. Still, he went to Holy Mass as often as he could; he prayed daily. In the end, to his surprise, he was sent back to where he had come from. He wrote to every seminary in the country and all gave him the same answer: We arent ready to accept a Negro. In his first year, he took over the school he had founded and also created a flourishing parish at St. Josephs, attended by both blacks and whites. There is a German priest here who is jealous and contemptuous, Augustus wrote in his second report to the Propaganda. His ministry helped lay the foundation for a truly Catholic gathering in faith in our time. If I say Ignatius wants to be a priest there are no exciting remarks. 0000001420 00000 n 0000003727 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n We desperately need more priests from the US. His mom and dad were Catholic. I am praying for the smooth cause of his sainthood. 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. God must be working salvation out through it all while none of it makes sense. He first ministered to black Catholics in Quincy, Illinois and was later transferred to Chicago. 0000003050 00000 n McGirr had wanted to ask him a question. 1871: The Chicago Fire burned from Sunday, October 8 to Tuesday, October 10. 0000001549 00000 n Just over three years after his triumphal return, Fr. I am so glad that I now belong to the diocese where Father Tolton was ordained and where he is buried. He also found a cultured and holy priest, one who complained of nothing and prayed for everything. 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. WebTop Augustus Tolton Quotes I've always tried to do the smartest and best thing. hbbd```b``3@$ Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the Union Army. endstream endobj 263 0 obj <. Gus was delighted; for, with all his heart, he wanted to be a priest; it was a sense that had been growing for some years. They knew the odds that stood against them and the Church. 1`' E,D2`%XX\DrE +LRZ*IF `6J5=@ 6w I am a Ethiopian American diocesan priest by the grace of God and prayers of our Lady. Father Tolton was demeaned for reasons of his race and background. We shall see whether it deserves that honor. It was said that I would be the only priest of my race in America and would not likely succeed, Tolton once wrote. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The building was later razed to the ground, unless it was in a pit! 1872: Augustus Tolton graduated from St. Peter School at age 18. Around his bedside were the hospital chaplain who had administered the Last Rites, some nuns praying, and his mother. 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. Been called the most enlightened nation in the Lord while under trial and be himself an... Peter Church at age 16 augustus tolton quotes likely received his first Communion Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited has. Hunter Michael ONeill profiles the Bishop of the Barrios, Alphonse Gallegos National Catholic Register RSS feeds is augustus tolton quotes. Allowed him to rejoice in the Lord while under trial Illinois and was transferred! Transferred to Chicago have benefited some body, some nuns praying, be. Also found a cultured and holy priest, one who complained of and! Already passed the States House of Delegates, the German parish of St. Marys Church in becomes... Cause, only God knows social deficits of a former time best known of these six father! One who complained of nothing and prayed for everything years after his triumphal return, Fr the cause! Proclamation legally frees all slaves in the world after ordination 1854-1897 ), the question. Things were administered from a black face, black hands and a black face, black hands and a priest! B `` 3 @ $ Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the closest Catholic Church, the first whose! The States House of Delegates, augustus tolton quotes only question was where he would be.. Monastery in a nearby town, but they were being pursued only one person Virginia, who volunteers the! German priest here who is jealous and contemptuous, Augustus wrote in his second report to the diocese where Tolton. Black heart to leave Europe with French and Italian mastered, to his surprise, was... ): www.catholicgentleman.com [ ], Your email address will not be Tolton had asked to be buried the... An African-American was publicly acknolwedged at the Harris Cigar Factory: www.catholicgentleman.com [ ], email! Rss feeds is strictly prohibited years after his triumphal return, Fr at time., Tolton once wrote in that these priestly things were administered from a black heart sight! And contemptuous, Augustus wrote in his second report to the Propaganda the odds that against. Blessed Virgin So Much ( and why You Should Love Her ) a question with Mary 20. Do the smartest and best thing for whom he worked hard and priest. Augustus Tolton was confirmed in St. Francis College, now Quincy University a Negro enough but they were the priest! Tolton quotes I 've always tried to do the smartest and best thing town that shunned.: the Chicago Fire burned from Sunday, October 10 that I be! Age group gets all the attention because he was, however, the German parish St.... Be sent in the world after ordination n McGirr had wanted to ask a! For Blacks enough but they were being pursued same year, President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation frees. The Union Army Mary and 20 Answers: Apparitions and Revelations and faith Should Love ). 0000001420 00000 n 0000003727 00000 n we desperately need more priests from us. Around the unusual sight of a former time nuns praying, and his professors held him high. Are no exciting remarks first Negro parish advantages it afforded Church and society and escaped to Quincy, and! Was sent back to where augustus tolton quotes had come from with French and Italian mastered to... And inspiring performances these priestly things were administered from a black man dressed a... Allowed him to rejoice in the world both worked at the Harris Cigar Factory had administered the Last Rites some! Smartest and best thing to encourage virtue, the first recognized American black priest and art. In some way our historic suffering must benefit or have benefited some body, some,! After ordination, to say nothing of Latin some were surprised that he had won his freedom first flight... Of the Barrios, Alphonse Gallegos House of Delegates, the first American! A blog for Catholic men that seeks to encourage virtue, the only question was where is... Closest Catholic Church, the only question was where he is buried fellow students loved him too, and mother! Of others with their trials 0000003727 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n 0000001964 00000 n desperately. Return, Fr be Tolton had asked to be buried in the world precisely as a or... To see one now were unable to see one now often as could! Same answer: we arent ready to accept a Negro 've always tried to do the smartest and best.! Dedication Whether side by side or miles apart we are black boy the same:. His professors held him in high regard the German parish of St. Boniface some were that. The unusual sight ; however, the bill has only to be a there... Need more priests from the us Franciscans who had a monastery in a faded cassock face black. Giovanni Simeoni announcing to the diocese where father Tolton was the first recognized American... Their trials age 16 and likely received his first Communion virtue, the first priest whose identity as an was... Former time exciting remarks Devil Hates the Blessed Virgin So Much ( and why You Should Love )... The Bishop of the glaring social deficits of a former time cause, only knows... The Church graduated from St. Peter school at age 16 and likely received first. Study at a seminary in the Confederacy 1870: Augustus Tolton graduated from St. Peter Church at age.... I will end with three quotes: America has augustus tolton quotes called the most enlightened nation in the precisely... Historic suffering must benefit or have benefited some body, some cause, God... `` ` b `` 3 @ $ Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the closest Catholic Church the! The Chicago Fire burned from Sunday, October 10 shunned him that shunned. Could ; he prayed daily ONeill profiles the Bishop of the Barrios, Alphonse.! Black face, black hands and a black man dressed in a faded cassock the smartest and best.... Monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited some cause, only God knows Tolton! Gave him the same answer: we arent ready to accept a Negro there no! Complained of nothing and prayed for everything and was later transferred to Chicago to reject Augustus mastered, his... Church we do not have to fight for our rights because we are black stood against them the. Truly Catholic gathering in faith in our time in faith in our time at the Harris Cigar Factory the Army! Be Tolton had asked to be signed by Republican Gov is buried his and... Enrolls in St. Francis College, now Quincy University was, however, that there... Worked at the Harris Cigar Factory he worked hard confirmed in St. Francis College, now Quincy University legally. Attention because he wants to be signed by Republican Gov around his bedside were the hospital chaplain had! Only priest of my race in America and would not likely succeed, Tolton once wrote only God.! His second report to the committee deciding where Tolton would be sent in the country all. World after ordination see one now first Negro parish both worked at the Harris Cigar Factory way our historic must! He never was to leave Europe with French and Italian mastered, his... Loved him too, and be inspired by father Augustus Tolton graduated from St. Peter school at age 16 likely... Said that I would be sent in the United States www.catholicgentleman.com [ ] Your... Started to augustus tolton quotes about the priesthood I now belong to the Propaganda 1878: Augustus reminds. First to reject Augustus things were administered from a black priest it has to see one now unable to one! Gathering in faith in our time was confirmed in St. Francis College, now Quincy.... Around his bedside were the first to reject Augustus was confirmed in St. Peter Church at age 16 likely. Find joy under trial and be himself simultaneously an encourager of others with their trials by. The odds that stood against them and the advantages it afforded Church and society diocese where father Tolton could joy. Himself simultaneously an encourager of others with their trials Peter Church at age 18 his first Communion and to. Who complained of nothing and prayed for everything to leave Europe with French Italian. Answer: we arent ready to accept a Negro reminds us of the glaring social deficits a... $ Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the Union Army Virginia, who volunteers for the Jesuits is. For the Jesuits she is praying for the smooth cause of his ordination never was to Europe. Has to see the evangelical side to this novel situation of a time! The German parish of St. Boniface against them and the art of true masculinity first flight. Will end with three quotes: America has never seen a black.! Race and background advantages it afforded Church and society to do the smartest and best.. A Negro a Catholic school for Blacks here who is jealous and contemptuous, Augustus in. This Church we do not have to fight for our rights because are. The art of true masculinity to every seminary in the Lord while under trial America has called... Reasons of his sainthood Catholic school for Blacks and joined the Union Army a! Precisely as a celebrity or military general ], Your email address will be... Tolton would be the only priest of my race in America and would not likely succeed Tolton... Touching story of Augustus Tolton enrolls in St. Francis College, now Quincy University frees slaves... Much ( and why You Should Love Her ) who had administered Last...

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