Augustus Tolton is one of the famous Religious Leader, who was born on the memorable day of April 1 in the year 1854. Hailing from the vibrant city of Missouri, Augustus Tolton is a proud citizen of United States.
Ex-slave who became the first African American priest in the Roman Catholic Church of America. He established St. Monica’s Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago.
Over the years, not only have skills been honed, but a significant impact has also been made in the professional field. Whether it's through work, public appearances, or contributions to the community, Augustus Tolton continues to be an inspiration for many.
Personal Information
Details about Augustus Tolton
Popular As:
Augustus Tolton
First Name:
Augustus
Last Name:
Tolton
Gender:
Male
Birthday:
April 1
Birth Year:
1854
Death Date:
Jul 9, 1897
Death Day:
July 09
Death Year:
1897
Place of Burial:
Quincy
Career
During the American Civil War, he and his mother and siblings escaped from Missouri to the slavery-free state of Illinois, where they found work at a tobacco company.
He attended the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy and became an ordained priest at the age of thirty-one.
Family
The son of Peter Paul Tolton and Martha Jane Chisley, he was born into slavery in Missouri. The plantation owner’s wife, Savilla Elliot, served as his godmother. He and Frederick Douglass were both notable ex-slaves.
Augustus Tolton Timeline
1835
After the death of their slave master in 1835, the Chisley children were forcibly separated from their parents and divided up among his different heirs.
1836
Tolton's mother, Martha Jane Chisley, was the daughter of Augustus and Matilda (née Hurd) Chisley (d. 1836), and grew up as the slave of John Henry Manning in Meade County, Kentucky.
1869
They invited him to stay in the Jesuit residence in the 1869 school building and to preach at the High Mass at Holy Family on January 29, 1893.
1886
Tolton was ordained in Rome in 1886.
1889
Daniel Rudd, who organized the initial Colored Catholic Congress in 1889, was quoted in the November 8, 1888, edition of The Irish Canadian as commenting about the Congress by saying: .
1893
Monica's Catholic Church as a Black "national parish," completed in 1893 at 36th and Dearborn Streets on Chicago's South Side.
1894
Monica Church, which was dedicated on January 14, 1894.
1897
Soon after, he died of a heat stroke at the age of 43 in 1897.
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1924
In 1924 it was closed as a national parish, as Black Catholics chose to attend parish churches in their neighborhoods.
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2010
Tolton's cause for canonization was opened in 2010, and he was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in June 2019.
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2011
On February 24, 2011, the church officially began the formal introduction of the cause for Tolton's sainthood, and Tolton received the title Servant of God.
2014
On September 29, 2014, Cardinal George formally closed the investigation into the life and virtues of Tolton.
2016
On December 10, 2016, Tolton's remains were exhumed and verified as part of the canonization process.
2018
On March 8, 2018, historians who consult the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously issued their assent to Tolton's cause after receiving and favorably reviewing the positio presented to them.
2019
On February 5, 2019, the nine-member theological commission unanimously voted to approve the cause.
2020
Tolton appealed “at all the masses” and collected $500 ($14,000 in 2020) for St.
