| Father Augustine Tolton Regional Catholic High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Columbia, Missouri, (Boone County), United States | |
| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 2010 |
| Status | Scheduled to open in Fall 2011 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Website | [1] |
Father Augustine Tolton Regional Catholic High School is the first private, Roman Catholic high school in Columbia, Missouri, built in 2010. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City. The school is named after Missouri native Augustine Tolton, the first black Catholic priest in the United States.[1]
Father Augustine Tolton was functionally illiterate at the age of 14. Having started working at the age of 7 one would expect he had little time for schooling. His father died during the civil war and his mother raised her family as a widowed former slave in the post war era. Despite this adversity as a young boy he became fluent in German having attended mass in that language regularly. His primary and secondary education was completed with the help of priests and brothers as he was also not welcome in regular schools because of his race. Father Tolton was described by biographers as a smart, happy, hardworking man that wanted to devote his life to his fellow human beings as a priest. After being denied admission to seminaries within the United States he was admitted to the College of the Sacred Propaganda at Rome, an achievement of great distinction. His time in Rome was a time of rigorous study during which he also became fluent in Latin and Italian. After completing his studies his goal was to travel to Africa to preach to the less fortunate. Instead he was transferred back to his home where he chose to live with his mother. There despite facing many barriers he was an engaging preacher that ministered to his diverse flock of both fortunate and unfortunate parishioners. He died at the age of 43, some say from heat stroke as his health already suffered from excessive work.{{cn|date=April 2011]]
The Archdiocese of Jefferson City hopes to inspire the youth of central Missouri to seek a life consistent with Catholic values as inspired by Father Augustine Tolton.
As of September 2010 a little over 10 million dollars have been raised for the construction of the school. Construction costs will be less than the projected total of 14 million, in part because of the donations of many companies. The first class will start in August 2011 with the goal of occupying the new building at that time. Additional funds are being raised with the hope of keeping tuition affordable for as many children as possible.[2]