Father Augustus Tolton, a candidate for sainthood, was the first identified black American ordained to the priesthood in the United States.  Throughout his life he displayed a great devotion to the Lord and the Catholic faith despite of facing racism within the Church at nearly every turn.  He preached the Catholic Church’s teaching that all people are children of God regardless of race made it the true church for African Americans in the United States following the Civil War.

In this book, the author, Joyce Duriga brings to light Father Tolton’s quiet witness as a challenge to prejudices and narrow-mindedness that can keep us insulated from the universal diversity of the kingdom of God.

“We are called to holiness in our own situations.  We each have a mission of the cross in life to make a difference, to win this world for God, and to get to heaven.  Tolton leaves us a shining example of what Christian action is all about, what patient suffering is all about in the face of life’s incongruities. He was a bright light in a dark time.”–Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, Chicago Auxiliary Bishop