The Archdiocese of Chicago to Host a Gala Benefitting the Cause for Sainthood of Father Augustus Tolton on Sunday, October 22
Chicago, IL (October 17, 2017) –The Archdiocese of Chicago will host a Gala benefitting the Cause for Sainthood of Father Augustus Tolton on Sunday, October 22 at 3 p.m. at Navy Pier’s Lakeview Terrace, 600 East Grand Avenue on Chicago’s Lakefront.
The Masters of Ceremony for the evening will be Fr. Michael Trail, associate pastor of St. Damian Parish, Oak Forest and Fr. Dominic Clemente, associate pastor of St. Edward Parish, Chicago.
Father Tolton was the first American diocesan priest of African descent. Born the son of slaves in Missouri, he studied for the priesthood in Rome as no American seminary would accept him because of his race. Ordained in 1886 for the Diocese of Alton, Illinois (now Springfield), he served his first three years as a priest in the city of Quincy of the same Diocese at a Church for black Catholics. In 1889, he came to Chicago at the invitation of Archbishop Patrick Feehan where he labored among a small community of black Catholics, starting a new parish, St. Monica at 36th & Dearborn streets, serving until his passing. At the time of his death he was just 43 years old.
Father Tolton’s Cause for Canonization was announced by the late Francis Cardinal George, OMI, in March 2010 and Tolton was granted by Vatican authorities the title “Servant of God” in February 2012. The research phase of the Cause concluded on September 29, 2014 with a special ceremony in St. James Chapel in Chicago featuring the signing and sealing and binding of the dossier to be sent to Rome.
Six months later on March 9, 2015, the Official Opening of the Acts of the Diocesan Inquiry into the life and virtues of Father Augustus Tolton began at the Congregation for Causes of Saints in Rome. On April 17, 2015, the Congregation declared in the affirmative of the juridical validity of the Diocesan Inquiry.
Each year, the Martha Jane Tolton Award is given to woman from the Chicago community who represents the essence and virtues of Fr. Tolton’s mother who championed the lives of her children to Freedom. The recipient of this year’s Martha Jane Tolton Award will be Lupe Mendez of Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica for her embodiment of the spirt of Martha Jane Tolton.
The Gala is sponsored by the Father Tolton Guild and the Vicariate VI Office of Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop. Tickets are $100 each. For more information about tickets and the Gala, call 312.534.8376 or write to: Vicariate VI Office, Archdiocese of Chicago, 3525 S. Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60653.
To learn more about Father Tolton’s Cause for sainthood, visit tolton.archchicago.org.
