Venerable Augustus Tolton
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Show HideVenerable Augustus Tolton was an American priest who lived in the 1800s. He was the first Black priest in the United States. He endured a lot of suffering throughout his life.
Despite all he endured, Father Augustus Tolton practiced heroic virtue. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy priest in many aspects of your life.
About Venerable Augustus Tolton
Venerable Augustus Tolton was born in 1854 in Kentucky. He was born into slavery. Augustus’ mother was a baptized Catholic. She introduced Augustus to the Catholic faith.
Augustus’ father escaped slavery and joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. Augustus remained behind with his mother. In 1862, he and his mother escaped slavery by crossing the Mississippi River. Some reports hold that, as they reached freedom, Augustus’ mother told him to never forget God’s goodness.
In his youth, Augustus was allowed to attend an all-White Catholic school named St. Peter’s in Illinois. A priest named Father Peter McGirr was the principal of the school. He saw qualities of greatness in young Augustus and decided to mentor him. Father Peter baptized Augustus and began preparing him to receive First Holy Communion.
Throughout the years of his youth, Augustus grew in holiness and in the desire to serve God. He wanted to become a priest, but the seminaries in America refused to allow a Black man to enter. Augustus’ faith did not falter, and he persisted in working to follow God’s call in his life.
Augustus graduated from high school and then from Quincy College. Father Peter continued to support Augustus’ vocation. In 1880, Augustus began studying for the priesthood in Rome.
Augustus had great trust in God. He dedicated all of his studies and work to glorifying God. While studying for the priesthood, Augustus learned to speak Italian, Latin, German, Greek, and some African dialects fluently. He also studied music and became very accomplished as a musician.
After studying for six years, Augustus was ordained a priest when he was thirty-one years old. He expected to be sent to Africa because of his skin color, but he was instead directed to return to the United States to minister to the Black community there.
When he arrived back in Illinois, Augustus celebrated his first public Mass in St. Boniface Church in Quincy, Illinois. Before long, he became the pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church and School.
While in Quincy, Augustus faced the difficulty of racial tension among the people there. He was eventually reassigned to Chicago. While there, he did a lot of holy charitable work. He fed the poor, cared for the sick, and helped bring many to the faith.
In 1897, Augustus died suddenly at the age of 43. Pope Francis declared Augustus Venerable in 2019.
Why Pray the Venerable Augustus Tolton Novena?
Venerable Augustus Tolton does not yet have an official patronage, but you can seek intercession from him in many circumstances.
You can use this novena to seek intercession from Venerable Augustus Tolton if you are suffering because of racial discrimination. Or you can pray this novena to ask Venerable Augustus Tolton to pray for the end of racial discrimination. You can also ask him to pray for the conversion of all who discriminate against other races.
Additionally, you can pray the Venerable Augustus Tolton Novena to seek assistance if you are struggling to forgive and love those who are treating you poorly, since he practiced heroic virtue in the midst of mistreatment by others.
You can pray the Venerable Augustus Tolton Novena for any intention!
Venerable Augustus Tolton Prayers
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you were born into slavery and were unjustly owned by others until you and your mother escaped to freedom. Though you suffered in your childhood, you did not cling to hatred or bitterness. You chose to live virtuously and to serve God.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all who are enslaved in our modern world.
Pray for us, that we may always choose to serve God even in the midst of suffering. Pray that we may grow closer to God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you spent part of your childhood in slavery. Though you suffered a lot, you eventually escaped to freedom and then began on the path to holiness. You were baptized and began to grow in virtue throughout the years of your adolescence. You ultimately chose to devote your life to God in the priesthood.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all children.
Pray for us, that we may never allow any sufferings to deter us from serving God. Pray that we may do all we can to advance in holiness in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you faced many difficulties in your life even after you escaped from slavery. Though you should have found only acceptance and love from members of the Church, you encountered some discrimination even there. Despite your sufferings, you persevered in serving God.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all who suffer because of racial discrimination.
Pray for us, that we may always show love to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that we may persevere in holiness even in the midst of suffering.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you grew in holiness and in the desire to serve God throughout the years of your adolescence. You began to feel called to become a priest, but the American seminaries refused to admit you because of the color of your skin. You persevered in following God’s call, entering the seminary in Rome.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all whom God calls to serve Him in the religious and priestly vocations may respond generously.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to respond to God’s call in our lives. Pray that we may have the perseverance necessary to serve God in the midst of difficulties.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you began to desire to serve God in the priesthood during your youth. A holy priest helped guide you in your vocation and helped you find a way to answer God’s call. You persevered through the difficulty of racial discrimination in America and served God as a priest despite all obstacles.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all priests may be holy servants of God.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to serve God worthily. Pray that we may grow in devotion and holiness each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you were treated poorly many times in your life on account of your race. You suffered from enslavement and the discrimination of others, but you did not become bitter or filled with hate. Instead, you chose to serve God and devote your life to holy works.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for the conversion of all who hold hate or uncharity toward those of another race.
Pray for us, that we may love all other people as our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that we may do all we can to spread the Gospel to others.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you suffered a lot because of mistreatment by others. Despite the unjust treatment you received, you did not allow hatred or bitterness to grow in your heart. Instead, you chose to pursue holiness and to serve God as a priest.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in forgiveness.
Pray for us, that we may never allow any sufferings or mistreatment to deter us from pursuing holiness. Pray that we may grow in love for God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you suffered in slavery as a child. Throughout the rest of your life, you often faced the difficulty of racial discrimination. But you did not wallow in your sufferings or allow yourself to become bitter. Instead, you chose to devote your life to serving God.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in the ability to offer our sufferings in union with Our Lord’s.
Pray for us, that we may make pursuit of holiness and virtue our top priority in life. Pray that we may grow in friendship with Jesus each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Venerable Augustus Tolton - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us Venerable Augustus Tolton as a model of holiness. Help us to live a virtuous life like his.
Venerable Augustus Tolton, you were baptized during your youth. Throughout your life, you faced the difficulty of racial discrimination even within the Church. But you did not turn your back on the Church on account of the sinfulness of some of her members.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that the Church may be strong and her members holy.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to build up God’s Church and bring souls to God. Pray that we may serve God in whatever ways He calls us to.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.