The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, announced April 29 it plans to restore a historic Quincy church as a shrine to honor Father Augustine Tolton, the first publicly recognized black Catholic priest in the U.S., who was declared “venerable” by Pope Francis in 2019.
According to an April 30 press release, the diocese aims to make St. Boniface Church, the site of Fr. Tolton’s first Solemn High Mass, a pilgrimage site.
A local committee has launched a fundraising effort for the $5 million renovation, and the pace of both funding and construction will shape the project’s timeline. The release also noted that the shrine is envisioned as a place of prayer and pilgrimage where the faithful can attend Mass and reflect on the priest’s life and prayerful witness.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield said the restoration is an “extraordinary moment” for the diocese.
“To restore St. Boniface,” Bishop Paprocki said in the release, “as a shrine dedicated to Father Tolton means preserving sacred history while creating a living place of prayer, hope, and renewal — all tied to a holy priest whose life is an example of authentic discipleship of Christ.”
Bishop Joseph Perry, retired auxiliary bishop of Chicago, is leading Fr. Tolton’s beatification cause. He said the priest exemplified the theological virtues, stating that at the end of his life, the virtues were found “intact,” despite his many hardships.
“Father Tolton’s own struggles,” Bishop Perry said, “pose a shining example of how to grapple with disappointment, protracted disappointments that constrain our lives, as well as how to endure when endurance may appear illogical.”
The release noted that Fr. Tolton, born into slavery in 1854, later settled in Quincy with his family. After discerning a call to the priesthood, he studied in Rome, having been denied admission to American seminaries because of his race.
Following his ordination in Italy, Fr. Tolton returned to Quincy and served his community. He was known for his powerful preaching, according to the release.
The release highlighted that the project marks a significant step in preserving Fr. Tolton’s legacy as his cause for canonization continues to advance.