April: Father Augustus Tolton Month 2022 Begins!

My apostolate celebrates April as Father Augustus Tolton Month, a celebration that I began last year. Augustus Tolton is the first recognized African American Catholic priests in United States history (1854-1897) This month will be filled with posts about Totlon, his life, and his significance. My apostolate celebrates April as Father Augustus Tolton Month each year. April is a good month to have a specific celebration of Ven. Tolton for the following reasons:

April 1, 1854 – Tolton’s birthday

April 26, 1865 – The Civil War end; Important for Tolton as he and his family escaped slavery during the war, and the war’s end helped to further secure the end of slavery and freedom for Tolton and all Black people in America.

April 24, 1886 – Anniversary of Tolton’s ordination to the priesthood in St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome.

April 25, 1886 – Anniversary of Totlon’s first Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Easter Day.

April 1, 2018 – The BLACKCATHOLIC apostolate officially launches in Tolton’s name as one of its Patron Saints on Easter Day.

As you can see April seems to be marked for Tolton both in history and for my apostolate. This is why I want to have my ministry celebrate him during April as a month specially dedicated to him, his life, ministry, and road to canonization. It begins now.

I will feature posts about Tolton’s life and significance for not only Black Catholic history and Black Catholicism but also for the history of the Church in the US and Catholicism in general. Info and tidbits about Tolton will be shared from websites and other resources.

I will also be occasionally sharing bits and reflections about his life from my reading of From Slave to Priest: The Inspirational Story of Father Augustine Tolton by Sister Caroline Hemesath as I make my way through it this month in my own personal spiritual reading. I don’t necessarily plan on finishing it during this month. It will be just interesting things here and there.

So, I hope you all will take the time then along with me as a special opportunity to learn more about Tolton, spread his story and witness, and develop a spiritual relationship with him as someone to receive intercession from and to imitate as he sought to imitate Christ during his brief life of 43 years.

Father Augustus Tolton Month celebrations begins with the celebration of the birth of Tolton anf Tolton Novena for the Spiritual Welfare of the Black American Community for April 1-9. April 1 is the anniversary of the birth of Fr. Tolton and begins the Novena so it becomes both a commemoration of Tolton and a prayer for the Black community.

Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, pray for us!

Learn about Ven. Tolton’s life and cause for sainthood: HERE

Pray with Ven. Tolton and let him carry your needs to God this special month: Tolton Novena for the Spiritual Welfare of the Black American Community info: HERE