As I understand it first Catholic priest in America who had a public identity as black, but yes, good thread:
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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That is correct, though a lot to explain in a tweet. The 3 Healy brothers, sons of a slave and her white master, were light-skinned and passed for white. They were sent north and became priests but never addressed slavery and avoided identification with their race.
Jul 9, 2019 · 4:03 PM UTC
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