By Currents News
A new shrine is in the works to honor Father Augustus Tolton — the first African American priest born in the United States.
The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, has launched fundraising efforts to establish the shrine in Tolton’s hometown of Quincy. Born into slavery in 1854, Tolton escaped to freedom, pursued his calling overseas when U.S. seminaries refused him, and was ordained in Rome in 1886.
He returned to serve the Church in the United States, becoming a powerful witness of faith and perseverance.
Plans for the shrine are still in the early stages, with no set timeline as fundraising and development continue.