A Slave's Path to Sainthood: The Story of Father Augustus Tolton

Augustus Tolton was nine years old when his mother spirited him and his brother and sister from slavery in Missouri to Quincy in the free state of Illinois. Even there, Gus, as he was called, knew discrimination and privation, even in the Catholic churches in which he was educated and served. 

Join historian Reg Ankrom as he shares about the remarkable life of Father Augustus Tolton, the nation’s first black Catholic priest. Today, the Venerable Father Gus Tolton is on a path to sainthood in the universal Catholic Church.

Looking for Lincoln invites the public to watch and participate in this online program on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 7 pm on the Looking for Lincoln YouTube and Facebook video channels. Viewers can watch and participate in this free live program. Questions can be submitted by viewers for the host to answer at the end of their presentation.

The program is recorded for viewing after the premier and is available on the Looking for Lincoln Facebook and YouTube video channels. Reservations are not required, and there is no cost to view the event. 

Reg Ankrom's interest in Abraham Lincoln led him to Stephen A. Douglas. And Reg is now working on the final volume of his three volume biography of Douglas. Numerous books, journals, magazines, and newspapers have published more than a hundred of Reg’s works in historical literature. He speaks frequently on Douglas and Lincoln and antebellum American history.

"We are proud to host this series of Looking for Lincoln conversations,” says Sarah Watson, Executive Director of Looking for Lincoln. "These live, digital programs cover a range of topics that depict the life and times of Abraham Lincoln in the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. Few individuals have so profoundly influenced American history as did Abraham Lincoln. Millions around the world are inspired by the story of Lincoln's rise from humble beginnings to President of the United States, his qualities of integrity and courage and his decisive leadership traits that carried a fragile nation through one of its most trying periods.”

________

The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition is the coordinating entity for the 43-county Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. It is a partnership of organizations and individuals dedicated to enhancing the communities and landscapes of central Illinois through recognition and support of their significant natural, cultural and historical legacies. Few individuals have so profoundly influenced American history as did Abraham Lincoln. Millions around the world are inspired by the story of Lincoln’s rise from humble beginnings to President of the United States, his qualities of integrity and courage and his decisive leadership – traits that carried a fragile nation through one of its most trying periods.