This is about a man who born into slavery in Missouri. He went on to become the first African American from the United States ordained a Catholic priest.
I would like folks across America to learn about him. He was a man whose goodness shined like a brilliant star. And he inspired others by his gentle and caring example. Say “Hello” to Augustus Tolton.
Born a slave
On April 1, 1854, Peter Tolton may have paced nearby as his wife, Martha Jane, gave birth to her second son. They named him Augustus (after his uncle). The baby was baptized soon after in St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Brush Creek, Missouri. Mrs. Savilla Elliot stood as Augustus’ godmother.
It was a situation a bit out of the ordinary at the time. That was because Mrs. Elliot and her husband Stephen Elliot happened to be the “owners” of Augustus’ mom and dad. The Tolton’s were slaves, and their three children, Charley, Augustus, and Anne, were born into slavery.
This situation was unusual, in another way, too. The slave owners and their slaves were Catholic. This was quite uncommon, especially in the mostly Protestant south.
Augustus was seven years old when the Civil War began. And exactly how the Tolton’s became free is a bit confusing. There are conflicting accounts of his journey to freedom.
One account, in Wikipedia, says Stephen Elliot freed his slaves at the outbreak of the Civil War. Peter Tolton then headed north and joined the Union Army. Martha and her children also headed north. With the help of Union Soldiers, they crossed the Mississippi River and entered Illinois, a “free” state. They settled in the town of Quincy.
The Encyclopedia Britannica, however, reports Augustus’ dad, escaped his bondage and fled north, joining the Union army. He was either killed in battle or died of dysentery. Martha also managed to escape with her three children and the four of them settled in Quincy.
Yet another account of Augustus Tolton’s life, prepared by the Archdiocese of Chicago, also says the Tolton family escaped slavery.
Most accounts about Augustus’ journey to the priesthood, however, begin with his being discovered by Father McGirr.
Father Peter McGirr
The pastor of St. Peter’s parish in Quincy was an Irish American priest, Father Peter McGirr. Augustus was already a teenager when he and Father McGirr first met.
Father McGirr had Augustus enrolled at St. Lawrence (later renamed St. Peter), a school run by Notre Dame Sisters. The priest’s move was very controversial. Most white parishioners did not want a black student studying along with their children. But Father McGirr held firm and insisted that Augustus study at St. Lawrence.
Augustus Tolton’s life had been placed on the road to his destiny.
Was the Holy Spirit at work?
The Holy Spirit may have moved Father McGirr. He may have seen something in Augustus that others did not. Within one month, the boy had memorized the Latin Mass prayers, which he needed to know to serve Mass.
There’s no record of when Augustus received his First Communion. It was, however, common practice then to receive First Communion at Confirmation. Augustus was Confirmed in what was then St. Peter Church on June 12, 1870. He was 16 years old.
After several years Father McGirr asked Augustus if he would like to become a priest. McGirr told Augustus it would take about 12 years of difficult study and dedication. Augustus obviously said “yes.”
After graduation and with the unwavering support of Father McGirr, Augustus attempted to get into a seminary. It was the 1870’s, and prejudice was taken for granted. Every American seminary to which he applied rejected Augustus.
The young man did not despair, lose hope, or get bitter, however. On the contrary, he continued to pray. His prayers, combined with the fearless determination of Father McGirr, finally enabled him to gain admission to St. Francis College (now Quincy University) in Quincy, Ill.
A diligent student
Augustus proved to be a diligent student and, upon graduation, was accepted into the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. Founded by Pope Urban VIII in the 17th century, Urbaniana was a training ground for missionaries.
In 1886, at the age of 32, Augustus Tolton was ordained to the priesthood in Rome. Augustus thought he was going to Africa, but to his surprise he was sent back to the United States. He thus became the first Roman Catholic American priest of African descent in the United States.
Newspapers from across the country told the story of the former slave, now ordained as a Catholic priest. When Father Tolton arrived back in Quincy, he was greeted as a hero. A brass band played, and Negro spirituals were being sung. Thousands of white and black people sang together, lining the streets together. They were all waiting to catch a glimpse of the former slave boy who had grown up to be a Catholic priest.
Love of God replaced prejudices
When he arrived at St. Peter’s Church, hundreds had crowded inside, wanting to receive his blessing. His first blessing went to his mother.
For the next few days, prejudices in Quincy, Illinois, may have been non-existent. They may have been replaced by the love of God instead.
Father Tolton was subsequently assigned to help start St. Joseph’s Parish in Quincy. He was very much loved there and his Masses were often “standing room only.”
In 1892 Fr. Tolton was transferred to Chicago. He became pastor of St. Augustine’s Church “with full pastoral jurisdiction over all Negro Catholics in Chicago.”
St. Augustine’s actually met in the basement of St. Mary’s Church, but this would soon change. Fr. Tolton’s work at St. Mary’s led him to develop the Negro National Parish of St. Monica’s Catholic Church.
“Good Father Gus”
He was such a kind, caring man that he came to be known as “Good Father Gus.” The new parish and church grew quickly and soon had over 600 parishioners. Fr. Gus began construction on St. Monica’s Church, which was needed to accommodate the swelling numbers of parishioners. But he would not live to see it completed.
Father Tolton had been ill for quite some time and had never told anyone. On a hot July day in 1897, with the temperature at 105 degrees, Father Tolton was returning from a retreat in Bourbonnais, Ill. When he stepped from the train, he collapsed.
Fr. Gus was rushed to the hospital, where he died a few hours later from sunstroke. He was just 43 years old. The community was shocked at the loss of their dear friend. Father Tolton was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery near Quincy.
The road to sainthood
In March 2010, Cardinal George of Chicago announced that he was beginning the cause for canonization for Father Tolton. On February 24, 2011, the Catholic Church officially began the formal introduction of the cause for sainthood. Father Augustus Tolton was then formally designated as “Servant of God.”
Good Father Gus was declared a man of “heroic virtue” by Pope Francis on June 12, 2019. He is now known as Venerable Augustus Tolton. He is currently under consideration for Beatification.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, please pray for us all.
