Bishop Thomas John Paprocki | Diocese of Springfield

Area Catholics and others devoted to Father Augustine Tolton will mark the 128th anniversary of his death with a pilgrimage procession on July 9 in Quincy. Father Tolton, recognized as the first black priest in the United States, is undergoing the process for beatification and canonization in Rome.

The procession will start at 5:30 p.m. from the statue of Father Tolton outside St. Peter Catholic Church at 2600 Maine Street. It will proceed along Maine Street and South 33rd Street before reaching St. Peter Catholic Cemetery, where Father Tolton is buried.

Evening Prayer will be held at his grave at 6:30 p.m., led by Father Daren Zehnle, Director of Campus Ministry and adjunct professor at Quincy University. After Evening Prayer, participants will pray for an end to racism, more priests through Father Tolton’s intercession, and his canonization as a saint. The event will conclude with singing "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," a hymn favored by Father Tolton.

Participants who cannot join the walk are invited to meet near the cemetery but should not park inside due to limited space. Chairs and bottled water will be available for those attending Evening Prayer.

Father Tolton was born into slavery in 1854 and escaped with his family to Illinois in 1862. He attended St. Peter’s Catholic School in Quincy before going to seminary in Rome since American seminaries refused him admission due to his race. Although he expected to serve in Africa after ordination, he returned to Quincy where he was welcomed by many supporters. Known for his singing and sermons, he later moved to Chicago before dying of heatstroke at age 43 on July 9, 1897.

Pope Francis declared him “Venerable” on June 12, 2019, marking progress toward sainthood within the Catholic Church.

For further details about this event, contact Father Daren J. Zehnle at (217) 321-1109.