“Venerable Augustus Tolton”
Exclusive Restored Photograph

Venerable John Augustus Tolton (1854–1897) was born an American slave. His enslaved mother had taken up the Catholic faith through their white masters, and her son followed her in the faith. According to one report, when the family escaped to freedom in Illinois, his mother turned to him and said, “John, boy, you’re free. Never forget the goodness of the Lord.”

He devoted his life to God. He attended the all-white Catholic school in Quincy, Illinois, and Quincy College. He studied hard in school to serve the glory of God. He wanted to become a priest, but no American seminary would take a black man. He went to a seminary in Rome, where he became fluent in German, Italian, Latin, Greek, and African dialects he expected to use in the missions to Africa.

Instead, Rome sent him to the United States. Eventually he was assigned to Chicago, where he was warmly welcomed by the Jesuits. He was the first American Catholic priest of African ancestry, noted for his indefatigable service to the poor and the building up parishes. He was brilliant, eloquent, had a beautiful voice for chanting the Mass, and attracted hundreds of people, black and white, to his Masses. In a culture that had tried to define him by race, he had answered with the love of God. Pope Francis declared Fr. Tolton Venerable in 2019, meaning he led a life of heroic virtue. He is on his way to being declared a Saint.

See our other exclusive restored photos of other Catholic Saints here at our store. We hope they bring you closer to the Saint, and thus closer to Jesus.

** IMPORTANT ** The image is smaller than the paper! Thereis a blank border around the image! About 0.5 in 5x7", about 1.3" in 8.5x11", and about 1.6" in 11x14".

– Acid-free paper
– Archival pigments, rated to last for generations.
– Cardboard backer
– Above story of the art
– Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

Thanks for your interest!

Thanks!
Sue & John

You might also enjoy original Catholic Art and Jewerly by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, here on Etsy at www.Etsy.com/shop/TreeOfHeaven
Also, check out our Catholic Quote shop, where we are pairing authentic quotes from Saints with Art: www.Etsy.com/shop/CatholicQuote

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II

Original image is out-of-copyright. Descriptive text and image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson – Classic Catholic Art.