This priest is buried in St. Peter's cemetery in Quincy. Catholic News Service Statue dedicated to slave-born first U.S. black priest EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (CNS) -- Calling a Catholic priest born into slavery a role model for young blacks, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville dedicated a statue of Father Augustine Tolton Nov. 3. The six-foot, 1,200-pound statue of the first U.S.-born African-American priest stands in a small park across the street from St. Patrick Church in East St. Louis, near where Father Tolton lived as a child. "Young people need good role models," the bishop said. "Our young people today cannot imagine how many obstacles stood before that young man and yet he was courageous enough to pursue his vocation to the priesthood." Father Tolton was born a slave near Hannibal, Mo., in 1854. After his father, Peter, escaped to join the Union Army, the young boy, also known as Augustus, fled with his mother and siblings across the river to free territory in Illinois. The family settled in Quincy. Augustine went on to study for the priesthood in Rome and served at churches in Quincy and Chicago. Copyright (c) 2002 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service. ===== History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."--- Bertie C. Forbes __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos http://launch.yahoo.com/u2