Documentary on America’s First Black Catholic Priest to Air

Joliet, Ill. – In 1886, history was made in Rome as the first black Catholic priest from the United States, Rev. Augustus Tolton, was ordained. His story, which started with his birth in 1854 and ended only 43 years later with his untimely death in 1897, is one of faith, inspiration and perseverance, and is now being told in a new documentary by University of St. Francis (USF) administrator Glen Gummess that will air at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 11 on WTTW-Chicago.

“The production started as part of the work I was doing in my doctoral program at USF,” Gummess explained. “I have always been interested in the topic of racism, so I met with Allison Heard (USF Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator) to explore potential project ideas. We came up with the idea about a documentary on Father Augustus Tolton since it appealed to my interests, since USF has a chapter of the Augustus Tolton Honor Society and because he is also a candidate for sainthood.”

From there, Gummess began a fact-finding journey on the life of Tolton. He assembled a group he affectionately named “The Augustus Tolton Task Force,” which included Heard, Helen Hester-Ross, Leia Levy and two Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate. The group helped Gummess identify two key individuals who would eventually help the documentary come together – Brother Ed Arambasich, OFM, who was interviewed for the documentary, and Chicago community leader Andrew Lyke, who conducts educational tours in two states about Tolton’s life.

In order to capture an authentic picture of Tolton’s life, Gummess headed to Hannibal, Mo., to follow in his footsteps. Once there, a visit to the Hannibal visitor’s bureau (a suggestion from Like) connected Gummess with local historian Faye Dant, who is the curator of Jim’s Journey, a museum dedicated to African American culture. Dant also contributed interview footage to the documentary.

“Faye’s contributions to the documentary served as a perfect bridge to the contributions by the USF members of the Augustus Tolton Honor Society. They helped to connect yesterday and today,” Gummess said.

Gummess also sought out Bishop Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago, to contribute to the documentary, as well. In addition to his key role within the Archdiocese of Chicago, Perry has also led the charge for Tolton’s canonization.

Outlining the Footage

Once Gummess concluded his research and filming, he spent a wealth of time reviewing what he had collected over the previous months.

“I made it a point to carefully review all of the source material I had collected for this documentary because I wanted it to paint a picture that was as accurate and as impactful as possible. I watched the interviews multiple times and took detailed notes as I identified key contexts and themes from them. From there, I was able to assemble a rough script that served as the outline for the documentary,” Gummess said.

That rough script quickly developed into a production that relied on a unique storytelling method – one absent of actual narration.

“I wanted to let the text, imagery and interviews tell this story in a way that one voice simply couldn’t. Together, they challenge the viewer to listen and think, which I feel is a very effective and engaging way to tell a story,” he said.

The result was a documentary that tells the story of Tolton’s life through four phases: being born into slavery in Hannibal, Mo. in 1854 and his family’s escape to Quincy, Ill., in 1863; his adolescent life in Quincy where he repeatedly attempted to enter the seminary but was rejected; his six years in Rome, where he was finally able to successfully enter the seminary through the support of the Franciscans and become ordained in 1886, and; his return to Quincy and his ministry there up until his untimely death from heatstroke in 1897.

Validation

Gummess released “From Slavery to Glory” to the public during a special screening at the Joliet Area Historical Museum in early February. Among those in attendance at the screening was Bishop Perry, who after viewing the documentary, validated Gummess’ work.

“My greatest takeaway from this entire process came from Bishop Perry when, following the screening, he told the audience that the documentary was ‘accurate.’ That was the greatest validation I could have possibly felt,” Gummess said.

Moving Forward

With the heavy lifting associated with project now visible in his rearview mirror, Gummess has had time to reflect on the experience of creating the documentary and what it taught him.

“Going in, I knew next to nothing about Father Tolton. Today, I find it challenging to articulate just how much I have learned not only about him, but about myself, as well. I have an even greater respect for history, and hope that somehow, and maybe if even just a little, that this documentary helps to advance the cause of canonizing Father Tolton,” Gummess concluded.

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves over 4,000 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 50,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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