Ven. Augustus Tolton (d July 9 1897) the first Black priest in America, was born in slavery in Missouri in 1854. While his father escaped to fight in the Union army his mother escaped north to Illinois with her children. Raised a Catholic, Augustus felt called to the priesthood.
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No seminary would accept him, but he studied in Rome and was ordained in 1886. He was assigned to a Black parish in Quincy IL, later in Chicago. Despite his effectiveness, he suffered from isolation and marginalization—the burden of being the only Black priest in America.
Thank you for this tweet - may I ask the identity of this priest? I would like to research more and become more educated.
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