Customer Reviews

From Slave to Priest: A Biography of the Reverend Augustine Tolton (1854-1897) First Black American Priest of the United States

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How does one write a review about book like this? The title alone tells such an incredible story, you know you will have to read it. Augustine Tolton was born a slave of wonderful parents. His father escaped slavery and fought and died for the Union Army in the Civil War. His mother made a dangerous journey North with three small children to find a better life for her children.

Augustine Tolton wanted more than anything to be a priest, to bring Jesus to all people, and yet he was denied entrance into the seminaries in the United States because he was black. Finally, after many years of being turned away, he was received into the seminary in Rome through the efforts of priest friends of his. His life was not long, and yet the work he did was incredible despite the many obstacles he faced. Often times God calls others to finish the work started by great people. Father Augustine Tolton was truly a Man of God.

Sr. Caroline Hemesath recounts for us the inspirational story of the first black Catholic priest in the United States with this book (originally published in 1973 and re-issued in 2006). Although she did a fair amount of research and interviews for the book (as evidenced by the bibliography), Sr. Hemesath presents Fr. Tolton's life in a series of fictionalized vignettes, a sort of "speculative biography." The result is, if not 100% accurate, extremely readable and provides a good picture of what Fr. Tolton's life was probably like.

She is particularly adept at presenting the trials Fr. Tolton endured: the constant rejection by seminaries in his own country, the years spent building up money to pay for studies in Rome, the harassment at the hands of a fellow priest in Quincy. His was not a happy life, insofar as he never seems to have found a place to truly call home where he could be a simple pastor (which seems to have been his only real wish).

On the other hand, his trials never diminished his love of the Church, even in its human brokenness, and Sr. Hemesath gives us a real sense of Fr. Tolton's anguish -- a cross of racism, hate and bigotry -- and joys in his life. Rather than bemoan his fortune Fr. Tolton sought one thing only: to serve God and his people. I highly recommend this book.

This book was recommended as a book for my high schooler to read while studying the Recovery period of American History. I read it while on vacation and couldn't put it down. The story of Augustine Tolton is sad and poignant, yet so inspiring. This man had a true calling, and had the inner strength and grace to persevere against overwhelming obstacles. The undying support of his mother, as well as a few mentors, are inspirational examples of true charity and moral courage. Even after becoming a priest, Tolton remained a slave -- a willing slave to the duties of his state in life, a slave of love and of service, which is what God demands of all. If this book becomes available on CD, I would like to get it for all of the truly devoted priests that I know.

This book is an excellent look into the life struggles that African Americans faced long after their freedom was granted. A sensitive account of the real fear, sacrifice and patient endurance that this young man and his family endured. It is a testament to his faith in God and willingness to adjust his own expectations and accept God's plan for his life; he was always a tool for spreading the love of God and salvation through Christ. If ever there was an account of someone taking lemons and making lemonaide, this is it!

I looked at this book for a while before purchasing it. Finally I made the decision to order it and I am so glad that I did. It is very well written and filled with information I may not have found any other place.
An interesting read for historical and spiritual reasons. My thanks to the author.

Reason for Reading: I enjoy reading biographies Religious and I have a particular interest in the Civil War era and escaped slaves.

Augustine Tolton escaped slavery with his mother and two siblings when he was 8 years old. He had belonged to a Catholic family that had brought their slaves up in the religion. Augustine was always taken with the Faith, though the hypocrisy of his slave owners did not escape him. As a boy growing up in Quincy, Illinois he soon knew that he wanted to be a priest but didn't think it was possible for a black person. With the encouragement of his local priest, he let his dream take hold of him and aspired to the day he could be a priest and pastor to his own people. Augustine was unshaken in determination that Catholicism was the true religion for his people.

At this time, just after the Civil War, though, it seems the Church in the US didn't know what to do with a Negro who wanted to be a priest. Augustine had already met prejudice when parishioners who had no problem with the black population in the pews were aghast at his showing up in the school with their children. And if not for an Irish priest who preached fire and brimstone to his parish about the equality of *all* men in God's eyes every day until they dared not complain anymore, Augustine would not have received his basic education. But then came the time to study for priesthood and his local priests tried to get him into every single seminary in the US and each one declined with some version of "we are not ready". Various priests in the diocese tutored Augustine in the evenings as he worked during the day to support his family. Much time passed and it weighed heavily on his heart that he may never become a priest. But his devotion kept him determined and eventually he was sent to seminary in Rome where he had classes with students from all over the world including Africa and Asia.

When he came back to Quincy as the first black priest in the US (there had been others, of mixed-race, but they had "passed" as white) he was met with open arms by fellow blacks and the Catholic community and he was overjoyed to finally have reached his calling. But troubles still followed Father Augustine his whole life. He would have to deal with one spiteful, bigoted fellow brother in Christ who caused him much grief. Half his congregation was white and this caused racial problems from other parishioners in different churches who wanted the whites to give to their own coffers but Augustine refused to ask people to leave his church. He also had problems with black Protestants who were vehemently opposed to him taking his peoples' souls away from them. He eventually ended up in Chicago with his own parish and though his dream of building his own church was coming true, he was one priest administering to a large flock. With the abject poverty of many of his parishioners it was a losing battle to preach morality and convert souls, as poverty breeds immorality: adultery, alcoholism, gambling, fornication, etc.

Father Augustine was a Godly man, determined to give his people someone of their own race to confide in religiously. Even dying black Protestants would send for him at the end instead of their own white ministers. He spent his life ministering to the ever enlarging black population of Chicago. He spent his evenings visiting the poor and the downtrodden. His life was devoted to spreading God's message and bringing the black community into communion with the Catholic Church. He died at an early age from exhaustion and sunstroke. He is a great testimony today as a man filled with God's love who never let the cross he had to bear stop him from continuing on with God's plan for him. He can be held up as an example of one whose Faith was often tested, and as a human did occasionally succumb to sorrow, yet he turned that sorrow over to the Lord and remained determined and unwavering in his Faith.

Sister Caroline writes Father Augustine's story in a narrative voice that almost reads as a novel. It is obviously heavily researched and the text is filled with excerpts from contemporary newspapers, Augustine's letters, and journal entries of both Augustine himself and those who knew him. This personal insight truly brings Father Augustine to life again for the reader. The book is also populated with a number of photographs and illustrations. Sister Caroline manages to capture both the public man on the outside and the private one inside. I highly enjoyed this biography.

This shoud be mandatory reading for all who persue a calling to the priesthood.

This book touched the very core of me. If you are a Traditional Catholic you will be able to grasp it very quickly. If you are a Novus Ordo Catholic you may not grasp the importance of this book. If you do not know whether or not you are a Novus Ordo Catholic, you are and need to research the invalid changes of Vatican II objectively,thoroughly, and return to the Faith of Our Fathers. This man/priest was surely called by God, suffered for The Church, our salvation, and is praying for us now along with the other saints in Heaven.