There are no African-American Saints formally recognized within the Catholic Church, but that could soon change. There are six incredible black men and women who are on the path to Canonization. The Catholic Church is starting to recognize their impact and may soon name any or all of them Saints. It's time to hear their stories.

Venerable Pierre Toussaint
An enslaved Haitian man who was brought to New York and became a popular hair stylist. After gaining his freedom and becoming wealthy, Toussaint used his resources to serve the church and the poor. He and his wife sheltered orphans. He helped establish New York’s first cathedral.

Servant of God Mother Mary Lange
Founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence. This particular order is the first congregation of African American religious in the history of the Catholic Church. She was also the first African-American superior of any religious order.

Venerable Henriette Delille
A free woman of color living in antebellum New Orleans who was caught between two worlds. Determined to become a nun, she was disallowed from religious orders because of her African heritage and rules forbidding the congregation of black people. Undeterred from her calling, she took on a makeshift habit, assumed abject poverty, risked starvation and constant danger so that she might nurse, feed, and educate slaves and the forgotten of society.

Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton
The first African-American priest. Tolton was born into slavery in Missouri and raised Catholic. He escaped slavery and gained his freedom. He studied in Rome and was ordained a priest. Tolton was assigned a ministry in Illinois, where he led the construction of St. Monica’s Catholic Church, which was considered a national parish for African-Americans.

Servant of God Julia Greeley
A former enslaved woman whose enthusiasm for and devotion to the Eucharist impressed even the Jesuits who ministered to her. Julia was a daily communicant of the Eucharist and walked to every fire station in Denver by foot to evangelize and deliver literature about the Blessed Sacrament. She joined the Franciscan Order and worked within the community for the last eighteen years of her life.

Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman
As a young girl living in Mississippi, Thea was inspired by the ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. She was a powerful teacher with a profound love for liturgy and music. She converted to Catholicism ad spent the rest of her life lovingly encouraging others to encounter God. She was instrumental in the founding of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS).

Featuring

Dcn. Ajani Gibson
Fr. Josh Johnson
Fr. Maurice J Nutt, C.Ss.R., D.Min.
Dustin Caldwell
Rev. Charles Andrus, S.S.J.
Fr. Blane Burkey
Sharon Knecht
Bishop Joseph Perry
Br. Tyrone Davis
Michael Heinlein
Melissa D'Adamo

executive producers Laura and William Fusz

associate producers Brandon Vogt and Jaclyn Warren

composer Jay Weigel

historical drawings and animations Jaclyn Warren

Chicago unit director of photography Ryan Welshans

New Orleans unit, additional photography Nathan Willis

Production Assistant Travis Michael DeBerry

director David Michael Warren

Coming Feb. 11, 2022

Digital. 24fps. 1080p. Runtime: 1 hr 57 minutes. Monochrome.

Supporters successfully funded this documentary on Kickstarter in February of 2021. A small crew shot the film across six major U.S. cities with equipment that could all fit into a single carry-on bag. The film was produced by Stella Maris Films, a subsidiary of Stella Maris Productions, LLC, with the support and collaboration of many prominent Church leaders and organizations.