Everything is lined up to move forward on the canonization cause for Father Augustus Tolton. The guild and historical commission have been named. A local and Roman postulator selected. A website launched (see https://tolton.archchicago.org/). All that the archdiocese is waiting for to officially move forward is the nihil obstat from the Vatican naming Tolton a servant of God. Bishop Joseph Perry, postulator for the cause, believes the Vatican approval is forthcoming. “The initial letter we got from the prefect of the Congregation [for the Causes of Saints] indicated he was very positive about it,” Perry said. “In other words, nothing stands in the way for this cause to move forward.” Once the nihil obstat is issued, the archdiocese will officially open the cause with a ceremony before the faithful, he said. Tolton was the first American diocesan priest of African descent. Born the son of slaves in Missouri, he studied for the priesthood in Rome because no American seminary would accept him. Ordained for the Diocese of Quincy in southern Illinois, he later came to Chicago to start a parish for black Catholics. He was only 43 years old at the time of his death. When a cause is opened, it is customary to have a local postulator and one in Rome who works with the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints in getting the cause moved forward. In the case of Tolton, the archdiocese selected Andrea Ambrosi as its Roman postulator. Ambrosi is also working on the causes of Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Venerable Maria Kaupas, the foundress of the Sisters of St. Casimir. Ambrosi visited the archdiocese in mid-October to meet with the tribunal, guild and other people involved in the cause. In an interview with the Catholic New World, Ambrosi noted that Tolton is significant because of the role he played in this country’s civil right’s history. However, the cause will be more difficult than, say, Archbishop Sheen’s because of the lack of documentation available about his life and the lack of living witnesses to his life. Rome typically encourages a canonization cause to start within 30 years of that person’s death, he said. To help Father Tolton’s cause along, the archdiocese launched www.toltoncanonization.org, where visitors can learn about his life, view a list of guild and historical commission members, find a canonization prayer and information on how to request prayer cards and report favors granted. To support Father Tolton’s cause send checks payable to the Archdiocese of Chicago, to Most Rev. Joseph Perry, Postulator, P.O. Box 733, South Holland, IL, 60473-0733.