Second African National
Eucharistic Congress for 2012
August 3-5, 2012
Marriott Hotel and Conference Center,
5701 Marinelli Road
Bethesda North, Maryland 20852
More Information:
Fr. Tolton - America's First Black Priest
Cause for Canonization
Many Catholics might not ever have heard of Fr. Augustus Tolton; but black Catholics most probably have. He was the first American diocesan priest of African descent, the son of slaves. After studying in Rome, because no American seminary would accept him, he was ordained for the Diocese of Quincy, in southern Illinois, and later came to Chicago to start a parish for black Catholics. He died young, at only 43 years of age; but most priests in the nineteenth century died before their fiftieth birthday. Visiting the sick on a daily basis was risky in an age before antibiotics. Many priests sickened sometime in their forties and died after a period of ill health.
Fr. Tolton’s cause for sainthood is being introduced in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and during this year for priests it would be good to pray to him and to ask the Lord to send us many more priests like him.
Francis Cardinal George, OMI
Read more about Fr. Tolton's Cause...
2011 Ordination Class for the United States includes Clergy from Africa
New Priests Younger, Influenced by Parish Priests, Catholic Education,
Service as Altar Boys, Social, Church Environment
WASHINGTON—The average age of men ordained to the priesthood in 2011 is trending younger with the average age for the 2011 class at 34, with more than half between the ages of 25 and 34. This is slightly younger than in 2010, and follows the trend over the past five years of ordinands becoming younger... (be sure to scroll down through the article to see photos of the ordinands) read more
