My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

A celebration of the life of the Servant of God, Pierre Toussaint, at Our Lady of Refuge parish conducted by Father Rony Mendes prompted me to write about the life of this holy man.  He was a Haitian slave who came to New York in the 18th century.  The situation in Haiti for the French plantation owners became very difficult with the uprising of the slaves. Pierre and his sister, who worked in the house on the Bérard plantation, were brought to New York as slaves by the Bérard family. A few years later, Mr. Bérard returned to Haiti, and, unfortunately, died in Haiti leaving his widow in a precarious situation.  Pierre, who was a hairdresser, continued to care for Mrs. Bérard in the absence of any financial support. He was an expert hairdresser who worked for the elite of the New York population of the day, which numbered only 30,000 persons.
Pierre was also a man of great faith who attended Mass each day at St. Peter’s Church on Barclay St. in Manhattan, which had recently been built.  After Mass, he usually worked 16 hours per day, walking to work in the Manhattan colony of the day as black slaves were not allowed during that time to take any public transportation which consisted of horse-drawn coaches.
Mrs. Bérard married again to a Mr. Nicolas, who was a refugee French planter who made a fair living playing the New York theatre as a musician.  Unfortunately, a tide turned against the new play houses that were coming up in the area and, again, the new family was plunged into financial ruin.  It was again Pierre Toussaint, still a slave, loyal to his former master, who continued to assist the Bérard family. Years earlier, Pierre had used his funds to purchase his sister’s freedom but opted to remain a slave himself knowing that Mrs. Bérard would be able to accept his services that way.  On her deathbed, Mrs. Bérard, no longer able to speak, wrote out directives that Pierre be freed.
His charity, however, went beyond one family. His home on Reid St. in Manhattan became a place of hospitality where he sheltered orphans, refugee priests, and all sorts of poverty-stricken travelers.
Pierre Toussaint was truly a man dedicated to charity and assisted in the establishment of one of the first orphanages in New York City by Mother Elizabeth Seton, who as we know is the first native-born saint from the United States, and her Sisters of Charity.
Perhaps one of the testimonies given by one of his clients, Emma Cary, gives the best description of this holy man, “His life was so perfect, and he explained the teaching of the Church with a simplicity so intelligent and courageous that everyone honored him as a Catholic.  He would explain the devotion of the Mother of God with the utmost clearness, or show the union of the natural and supernatural gifts in the priests.”
Pierre was very proud to be Haitian and black.  At a time when he could have faded into the society of the day, he assisted the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a community of black women that was established in 1829.  He was a proponent of freedom for slaves, yet he was not drawn into the slavery debates of the day.
Death came for Pierre on June 30, 1853, at age 87. He was buried in Old St. Patrick’s Cemetery on Mott St.  As the years passed, his grave was forgotten.  A good friend of mine from the Archdiocese of Newark, Father Charles McTague, now deceased, recognized Pierre’s grave back in 1941 when he was still a seminarian. As you may know, Pierre’s remains were moved to St. Patrick’s Cathedral by the late John Cardinal O’Connor.
In 1995, when Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral, Pierre was declared Venerable and his remains are now buried in the crypt under the main altar where the deceased former archbishops of New York are buried.  He is the only layman buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  It certainly was a wonderful occasion that he would be beatified in our lifetime.  Prayer for a miracle is what is now necessary for sainthood.  The prayer to Venerable Pierre Toussaint can be obtained for your private prayer and devotion from www.CatholicPrayerCards.org.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint is certainly one who put out into the deep of overcoming his social status by striving for holiness.  He once said, “I have never felt I am a slave to any man or woman but I am a servant of Almighty God who made us all.  When one of His children is in need, I am glad to be His slave.”