Augustus Tolton: The Church Is the True Liberator by Joyce Duriga

Abstract

Reviewed by: Augustus Tolton: The Church Is the True Liberator by Joyce Duriga Gary B. Agee Augustus Tolton: The Church Is the True Liberator. By Joyce Duriga. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2018. 128 pp. $14.95. On February 13, 2012, the Vatican named Augustus Tolton a "servant of God," thus formally beginning the process of canonization. This nineteenth-century priest consecrated in 1886, was the first openly recognized African American to be ordained in the United States. Tolton's name, however, does not generally appear in histories of American Catholicism. The decision by Liturgical Press to include Duriga's study of Tolton in its "People of God" series, a set of biographies honoring influential twentieth- and twenty-first century Catholics, will no doubt introduce him to a wider, more diverse audience. [End Page 81] Augustus Tolton was born in Brush Creek, Missouri in 1854. His mother Martha Jane Chisley was a native of Meade County, Kentucky. She was separated from her parents and forced to move to Missouri as part of a dowry settlement. While residing in a land far from her place of birth, Stephen Elliot who owned Martha's family died. Fear that she would be separated from her children might have been the impetus for her decision to escape with her family to the North. Though nearly apprehended by Confederate soldiers, the refugee family arrived safely in Quincy, Illinois, buoyed by Martha's Catholic faith. As Duriga's work shows, Augustus's road to the priesthood was not an easy one. He began work at the age of nine in a tobacco factory, a position he held for nine years. Laboring in this environment likely was detrimental to his health. Tolton was able to attend school only during the winter months. Even as the curious young man sought to improve his lot through education, he was forced to endure the racially charged taunts and sneers of younger white students. Tolton's faith in the Catholic Church was bolstered by the kindness of Father Peter McGirr, who helped the dedicated young man discover his vocation. Despite Tolton's piety, however, a number of seminaries refused his admittance. He was forced to wait ten years before being accepted to the Urban College in Rome. Upon completing his seminary training, Tolton was sent to the Diocese of Alton (now Springfield), Illinois. The young priest was assigned to St. Joseph's Parish in the town of Quincy, where he initially ministered to both white and black Catholics. Serving in his home community, Tolton sought to create an interracial fellowship similar to what he had observed in Rome. Residents living in the Quincy area, however, were not ready for this level of racial interaction. Tolton promoted the Catholic Church as the "liberator of all," but at times, Duriga's work offers evidence to the contrary (57–58). Ironically, the cleric's most serious opposition came from Father Michael Weis, pastor of St. Boniface Parish. Weis appears to have been most angered by the financial support Tolton received from white Catholics in the [End Page 82] area. After lobbying for a transfer to Chicago, Tolton went to work among the city's African American population. Much of his effort was given to raising money to build St. Monica's parish, the city's first black Catholic church. Throughout his ministry Tolton declared that the Catholic Church was the teacher of all nations. He argued as did other black Catholics that there was no color line within its walls. Readers of Duriga's work will likely come to the conclusion that these claims were more aspirational than descriptive. Working with few resources and little support took a toll on Tolton. He died on July 19, 1897. He was forty-three years of age. Duriga is due credit for giving attention to this important nineteenth-century Catholic leader. Her offering is a brief but accessible introduction to Tolton. It will serve as a valuable resource for individuals with limited knowledge of Tolton and Catholic ministry efforts among African Americans in the late nineteenth century. The book might also be used for small group study. Duriga's offering makes use of Tolton scholarship previously published, including...