Black History Month is a great time to learn about the “Saintly Seven” – seven African-American men and women who are on the path to Catholic sainthood. Each of them lived lives rooted in deep faith, service, and commitment to God despite facing racism and hardships.
Below, the Racial Equity Task Force has provided thumbnail biographies for these seven holy men and women: Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Friar Martin de Porres Maria Ward.
We give thanks for their representation of the rich history of Black Catholicism and dedicated service to the Church and its people.
Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman (1937-1990)
Sister Thea was born in 1937 in Mississippi, where she was raised. As a young girl, she attended Methodist church with her parents. Sister Thea was educated by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and it was their influence that taught and nurtured her faith. At the age of nine, she converted to Catholicism and at the age of 15 she joined their order, becoming the first African-American woman in the order. Sr. Thea was a gifted speaker and musician. She was committed to the richness of African-American culture and brought a new awareness of it to the Catholic Church. In 2018, Sr. Thea was officially recognized by the Vatican as a Servant of God.
Venerable Henriette DeLille (1813-1862)
Sister Henriette was born in 1813 in New Orleans as a free woman. She experienced a religious conversion when she was 24 years old and proclaimed “I want to live and die for God.” Sister Henriette focused her life on helping the enslaved, elderly, and sick, as well as caring for and educating the poor. She founded the Society of the Holy Family and dedicated her life to those purposes. Sister Henriette was the first Mother Superior of the order. Pope Benedict XVI declared her Venerable in 2010.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1766-1853)
Pierre was born enslaved in 1766 in modern-day Haiti and brought to New York City. He was legally freed from slavery in 1807, following the death of his enslaver. Pierre was deeply committed to caring for others, including orphans, immigrants, and the sick during cholera outbreaks. He was a daily communicant at St. Peter Church in New York and he raised funds to build the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Vincent de Paul Church. The late Cardinal Terence Cooke introduced Pierre’s cause for canonization at the Vatican in 1968. In 1989, the late Cardinal John O’Connor had Pierre’s remains transferred to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Pierre was declared Venerable in 1997 by Pope John Paul II.
Venerable Mother Mary Lange (C. 1789-1882)
Mother Mary was born around 1789 in Haiti and lived in Cuba with her family after their escape during the Haitian Revolution. She settled in Baltimore in the early 1800s, and in 1829, founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first religious order for African-American women. The order was dedicated to providing education and spiritual formation for Black youth. Mother Mary’s cause for canonization was opened in 1991, and she was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2023.
VenerableFather Augustus Tolton (1854-1897)
Father Tolton was born into slavery in 1854 in Missouri. Father Tolton’s family escaped slavery in 1863 and settled in Quincy, Ill. Father Tolton excelled in academics and graduated as the valedictorian of his class at St. Francis Solanus College, now known as Quincy University. He wanted to become a priest but was rejected by seminaries in the United States. He eventually was accepted into a seminary in Rome, where he was ordained and said his first Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. After ordination, Father Tolton returned to the United States where he was the first publicly recognized African-American priest. Much of Father Tolton’s service was at St. Monica Church in Chicago, where he ministered the city’s Black Catholics. In 2019, Pope Francis declared Father Tolton Venerable.
Servant of God Julia Greeley (C. 1833-1918)
Julia was born into slavery in Missouri and later gained her freedom in 1863 . She moved to Denver, where she worked tirelessly assisting the poor. Despite being of limited means, Julia gave away most of what she had to those less fortunate than herself. She became known as the “angel of charity.” Julia had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and in 1901, she entered the Secular Franciscan Order. Her cause for sainthood was opened in 2014, and she is a Servant of God.
Servant of God Friar Martin de Porres Maria Ward (1918-1999)
Friar Martin was born into a Methodist family in 1918 in Boston. His family moved to Washington, D.C., where he began attending a historical Black Catholic church. At age 17, he converted to Catholicism. In 1945, he joined the Conventual Franciscan Friars; he was the first African American in the order. He faced racism in the United States and went to Brazil, where he ministered for over four decades. Friar Martin dedicated himself to the Brazilian people in his community, especially the poor. Friar Martin’s cause for canonization was promoted by his order in 2020.