Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
During Walk the Walk Week each year, students, faculty and staff at Notre Dame participate in events designed to foster deeper belonging and inclusion on campus and beyond. This work continues year round, and we can draw inspiration from the examples of those in the Church who have come before us.
Born into slavery in Missouri in 1854, Augustus Tolton became the first recognizably Black Catholic priest in the United States. After escaping to freedom as a child and overcoming racism that barred him from U.S. seminaries, Tolton was ordained in Rome in 1886 and returned to minister in Quincy, Illinois, and Chicago.
Known as “Fr. Gus,” he founded St. Monica’s Church for Black Catholics and preached a Gospel of unity that drew together Black and White, rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant during an era of segregation. Declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2019, his cause for canonization continues to inspire the Church today.
In July 2025, the University of Notre Dame hosted a convocation of Tolton Ambassadors dedicated to advancing his sainthood cause and sharing his enduring witness of faith, courage, and reconciliation.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Becoming America's First Black Priest
01:33 Fr. Gus' Ministry in Chicago
02:25 Augustus Tolton's Path to Sainthood
During Walk the Walk Week each year, students, faculty and staff at Notre Dame participate in events designed to foster deeper belonging and inclusion on campus and beyond. This work continues year round, and we can draw inspiration from the examples of those in the Church who have come before us.
Born into slavery in Missouri in 1854, Augustus Tolton became the first recognizably Black Catholic priest in the United States. After escaping to freedom as a child and overcoming racism that barred him from U.S. seminaries, Tolton was ordained in Rome in 1886 and returned to minister in Quincy, Illinois, and Chicago.
Known as “Fr. Gus,” he founded St. Monica’s Church for Black Catholics and preached a Gospel of unity that drew together Black and White, rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant during an era of segregation. Declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2019, his cause for canonization continues to inspire the Church today.
In July 2025, the University of Notre Dame hosted a convocation of Tolton Ambassadors dedicated to advancing his sainthood cause and sharing his enduring witness of faith, courage, and reconciliation.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Becoming America's First Black Priest
01:33 Fr. Gus' Ministry in Chicago
02:25 Augustus Tolton's Path to Sainthood
