Quincy, Illinois (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Catholic Diocese of Springfield has announced plans to restore St. Boniface Church in Quincy and build a shrine to Father Augustine Tolton, the first publicly recognized Black priest in the United States.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki said, “This shrine will place Quincy firmly on the spiritual map for pilgrims seeking inspiration, healing, and deeper faith.”

Father Tolton was born into slavery in 1854. He, along with his mother and siblings escaped to Illinois in 1862 and settled in Quincy, where he attended St. Peter’s Catholic School. Tolton was called to the priesthood but at that time no American seminary would accept him so he eventually studied in Rome before returning to Quincy to minister. Tolton later transferred to Chicago where he died in 1897 at the age of 43.

In June 2019, Pope Francis declared Tolton “venerable”, officially recognizing him as living a life of heroic virtue by the Catholic Church.

St. Boniface was closed in 2020. It’s estimated it will take $10-12 million to restore and reopen the church and create the shrine. In 2024, St. Boniface was designated by the Quincy City Council as landmark property.

For those who would like to learn more about Father Tolton, the shrine, St. Boniface Church, or donate, log on to toltonshrine.org.