Venerable Pierre Toussaint is probably not a name you’ve heard of, but he is one of many people from the United States to be declared Venerable. Born in 1766 as a black house slave in Haiti and raised as a Catholic, he was brought to New York City by the Berard family and trained as a hairdresser. The Berards allowed him to keep some of his earnings, which he used to support that family when they lost their fortune.
Toussaint was known for his charitable works, his piety, and his hair design skills amongst New Yorkers. One of his wealthy clients said of him, “His life was so perfect, and he explained the teachings of the Church with a simplicity so intelligent and courageous that everyone honored him as a Catholic.” He used his income to support many charitable causes: raising funds for the first Catholic orphanage, beginning the city’s first school for black children, sheltering and fostering many boys, organizing a credit bureau, an employment agency, and a refuge for priests and travelers, helping to raise funds for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and attending daily Mass for 66 years.
St. John Paul II declared him venerable in December 1996, after which his body was reburied in the crypt for archbishops in St. Patrick’s Cathedral; Venerable Pierre Toussaint was the first non-clergyman to receive this honor. We would do well to learn about the achievements of this little-known man who overcame so much and achieved much more than was ever expected of him.
