Credited as the founder of Catholic Charities New York, Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a model of selflessness whose life's work was to help others.
Credited as the founder of Catholic Charities New York, Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a model of selflessness whose life’s work was to help others.
Toussaint was born into slavery on the island of Haiti in 1766. His slave master, Bérard, fleeing the Haitian revolution, brought him to New York City where he first worked as a barber. Bérard allowed him to keep much of his earnings from being hired out. Toussaint made a good living as a popular hairdresser among New York’s elite and chose to use his wealth to fund many acts of charity, such as sheltering orphans, nursing the sick, restoring St Peter’s Church after a fire and helping to finance the construction of St Patrick’s Old Cathedral. He also organised a credit bureau, an employment agency, and a refuge for priests and travellers.
In 1968, in recognition of his virtuous life, the then-Cardinal Archbishop of New York introduced Toussaint’s cause for canonisation at the Vatican. A year later, Cardinal O’Connor had his remains transferred from Lower Manhattan to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown Manhattan, where he is buried as the only layperson, alongside the former Cardinal-Archbishops of New York City.
On 17 December 1997, Pope John Paul II declared Pierre Toussaint ‘Venerable’, placing him firmly on the path to becoming North America’s first black saint.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a man who was proud of his faith and culture, and was committed to serving others.
By Father Mark E. Odion MSP, Policy and Research Analyst at the Bishops’ Conference
“Venerable Pierre Toussaint was a man who dedicated his life to serving other people. He was a selfless man who gave without counting the cost.
“Venerable Pierre Toussaint inspires me to be generous in my everyday practice to those in need, and to be open to support the less privileged in our society. He has taught me the act of generosity and selfless service to the vulnerable. From his life, one can learn that no act of kindness goes unrewarded.”
Priest and martyr who preached the gospel in the western Sichuan Province of China.
