Pierre Toussaint


Pierre Toussaint
Born(1766-06-27)27 June 1766
Saint-Marc, Artibonite, Saint-Domingue (now Haiti)
Died30 June 1853(1853-06-30) (aged 87)
New York City, U.S.
Spouse
(m. 1811⁠–⁠1851)

Pierre Toussaint (June 27, 1766 – June 30, 1853) was a formerly enslaved Haitian-American hairdresser and philanthropist, brought to New York City by his enslavers in 1787. He was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1996.

Freed in 1807 after the death of his mistress, Pierre took the surname of "Toussaint" in honor of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution.[citation needed] Toussaint also became a successful barber and used his wealth for various philanthropic causes. He also helped finance the construction of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral.

Credited as the de facto founder of Catholic Charities New York, Toussaint is the first and only layman to be buried in the crypt below the main altar of the current St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, generally reserved for bishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.[1]

  1. ^ "Black Catholics See Continued Progress on the Road to Canonization for 'Saintly Six'". Today's Catholic Newspaper. 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2022-10-20.