Skip to main content

PIERRE TOUSSAINT, HAIRDRESSER - 30 JUNE

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JUNE

Saints celebrated on the 30th of June

WELCOME!

VENERABLE PIERRE TOUSSAINT, HAIRDRESSER

A candidate for sainthood, he was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1996. One of the most fascinating characters of American Catholicism, Pierre Toussaint (June 27, 1766 - June 30, 1853) was born in Haiti; initially a slave, he became a free man in New York, and died as the city's most beloved man of his day because of his exemplary Catholic life. 

Venerable Pierre became a hairdresser at about the age of 20, while still enslaved by the Bérard family. After the death of Mr Bérard, Venerable Pierre supported Mrs Bérard, the plantation owner's widow, financially out of Christian charity until she remarried.

During his long life, Venerable Pierre was a strong witness to the love of God to all he met. While working in New York as a high society and celebrity hairdresser, Venerable Pierre spoke of God’s love and the beauty of the Catholic faith to his customers and others, most of whom were not Catholic and many of whom did dislike Catholics. He was completely dedicated to living the virtue of charity. Venerable Pierre brought sick people into his home and cared for them. He went into neighbourhoods devastated by fevers and plague to help. At his parish, Saint Peter’s Church in Lower Manhattan, he joined the Blessed Sacrament Society and the Benevolence Society.

Venerable Pierre, who later started his own hairdresser's salon in New York, also provided a great deal of the support for the orphanage of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton; he gave of his own money and constantly collected donations from his customers. Pierre and his wife Juliette also helped founding a Catholic school.

When Venerable Pierre Toussaint died in 1853, he was well-known in New York City. Considered the de facto founder of Catholic Charities in New York, newspapers even carried articles about all he had done for the poor people of the city and how deep his love for God and neighbour was. 

In 1991, Cardinal John O'Connor began the official process for his beatification and had Venerable Pierre's body exhumed and reburied at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Venerable Pierre is the first and only layman to be interred in the crypt below the main altar of the current Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York, where the bishops of the diocese are laid to rest.

Sources:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/248158/

https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages/venerable-pierre-toussaint/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Toussaint







Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WELCOME

  Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31   February - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17 18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FATIMA APPARITION - 13 AUGUST

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST Saints celebrated on the 13th of August Marian Feast Days WELCOME! FATIMA APPARITION - AUGUST 13 The Fatima Children “BUT IN THE END MY IMMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH.” But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me; it will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world. THE AUGUST 13 EVENTS On August 13, the children were in jail at Ourem. The civil administrator threatened to boil them in oil if they did not tell the Lady’s secret. Though badly frightened, they could not think of disobeying our Lady. In disgust, the administrator finally freed them. A large number of people, not knowing that the children had been kidnapped, went to the Cova for the scheduled appearance of the Lady. At noon, there was a loud clap of thunder. Then, according to an eyewitness: “Right after the thunder came a flash, and immediately we all noticed a little cloud, very white, beautiful and bright,...
Post a Comment
Read more

ST VALENTINE, BISHOP OF RHAETIA - 7 JANUARY

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY Saints celebrated on the 7th of January WELCOME! SAINT VALENTINE, BISHOP OF RHAETIA Saint Valentine (Valentinus) is the patron saint of the diocese of Passau. The Proprium of Passau relates his life story as follows: Saint Valentine came from the seashore and arrived at Batava, today's Passau. Here he wanted to proclaim the gospel to the inhabitants, who were ignorant of the true worship of God, and therefore went to Rome to obtain the necessary authority from the Pope for this undertaking. Upon his return, he invested much time and effort to gain those lost souls for Christ, as the Pope expected him to. Valentine himself thirsted for their salvation, incessantly preaching the Divine word to them. After some considerable time, however, Valentine realised that all the seed he had sown fell on rocky ground. Thus he travelled again to Rome with the request to be sent to another place that had fertile soil. The Pope received him graciously, consecra...
Post a Comment
Read more