Augustus Tolton (d. July 9 1897) was the first black priest in America. Born into slavery in 1854, he escaped to freedom in Illinois with his mother, a devout Catholic, and 2 siblings. With the help of a priest he pursued seminary training in Rome and was ordained in 1886,
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In Chicago his arrival was enthusiastically welcomed by African American Catholics--in contrast to the cool reception (at best) from fellow clergy. As his bishop reported, his troubles resulted "because he wants to establish a kind of society that is not possible (integration)."

Jul 9, 2019 · 3:24 PM UTC

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On June 12, 2019 he was declared Venerable.
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