No Black Catholics in the United States have been declared saints by the Catholic Church. But that could change. Six individuals who lived between 1766 and 1990 are officially on the path, each with a unique story of faith and struggle. After fleeing slavery in Missouri, Augustus Tolton wanted to be a priest but was rejected by Catholic seminaries. Mary Elizabeth Lange provided free schooling to children of color when it was illegal to do so.

Michael Heinlein, editor of "Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood," joins Gloria to discuss the heroic lives of these six Catholics who, through acts of charity, defied systems of injustice in society and in the church. "They had to fight just to be able to show love and mercy," says Heinlein.

Support The Gloria Purvis Podcast by getting a digital subscription to America!

Links:

Advocates urge Pope Francis to canonize 6 Black U.S. Catholics: ‘If not now, when?’

Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood by Michael Heinlein

Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood: A study guide

Video: Sr. Thea Bowman's address to the U.S. Bishops in 1989

Video: Who will be the first Black Catholic saint in the United States?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices