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MISSION & GOALS

The Center is a local parish initiative established for the benefit of all people. Our mission is to usher in an era of renewed vitality, infusing African-American Catholic parishes with Tolton's spirituality and equipping lay leaders with the strategies, resources and training to sustain a movement for a more mission-focused and community-oriented Church.

Our goal is to assemble a cohort of learning congregations, supporters, and community partners to explore possibilities for understanding and applying the fundamental principles of Tolton Spirituality holistically and cohesively to build intentional connections among multiple areas of congregational life and collaborative relationships among parishes with the potential to be united under a common identity.

By forming parish-based leadership teams supported by the community partners, the Tolton Spirituality Center will strengthen existing efforts and develop programs and ministries to animate the tangible gifts, spiritual graces, and prophetic witness of Father Tolton. Working as a model, this collaborative learning journey will provide the educational and practical resources to help black Catholic parishes on the South Side of Chicago and across the nation become thriving congregations.

 

When one congregation in the Church thrives, because we are one Church, we all thrive.


Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Matthew 28:19

“I have come to set the world on fire, and how I wish it were already so! 

Luke 12:49
 

MISSION & GOAL

DEFINING A THRIVING CONGREGATION

Inspired by the life and legacy of the Venerable Augustus Tolton, we have identified the following characteristics of thriving congregations that would inspire renewal and transformation in those Catholic parishes with a strong African-American presence. It is these principles we hope to explore with and animate within our local Church through the Thriving Congregations learning community:
 
The average congregant needs to trust in the new understandings of ancient sacred traditions, beliefs, values, and relationships that must be forged in today’s world. God is ever ancient, yet ever new.
 
Tolton’s life is an example of how to live a life of holiness and wholeness despite setbacks, both personal and institutional. Thriving congregations have the ability, through the power of community, to triumph over tragedy, embracing both the joys and sorrows of life in a spirit of suffering service.
 

  • Thriving congregations bring others to Christ through strong evangelization efforts. This commitment to community is exhibited by a willingness to collaborate with organizations beyond the parish walls and efforts to put faith in action through the corporal works of mercy and outreach to those on the margins

  • Thriving congregations promote a sense of responsibility and ownership of the parish and community at large, which includes passing on the faith to the next generation. 

  • Thriving congregations engage in courageous conversations. They are willing to take risks to stand for what is right, to speak prophetically, and to call out injustice when it is manifest.

  • Thriving congregations rely on radical hospitality to grow the church. They operate with the philosophy that they may not have much but what they do have, they are going to share.

  • Thriving congregations are mission-driven. They repair broken relationships, renew good relationships so they can be great, and replant regularly to grow new relationships.

DEFINING A THRIVING CONGREGATION

LEADERSHIP

Episcopal Moderator

Emeritus Executive Director

Board Chair

Interim Director

Associate Director

Acting Secretary

Treasurer

Board Member​

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Fiscal Agent

Boa

Board Member

Board Member                            Paula Kennedy

                     

Most Rev. Joseph N. Perry

Rev. Canon, A. Gerard Jordon

Angela Hicks

Valerie Jennings

Antionette Taylor-Thomas

 

Lena Young

Paula Jones

Deacon James Norman

Christine Riley

Ladell Johnson

Kathleen Humphries-Grannum

Fr. Michael Trail

Altha M. Jordan-GreenP

              

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

Archdiocese of Chicago

St. Benedict the African

Archdiocese of Chicago

Archdiocese of Chicago

Our Lady of Africa

St. Thomas the Apostle

Archdiocese of Chicago

St. Simon of Cyrene

Our Lady of Africa

Our Lady of Africa

St. Thomas the Apostle

Immaculate Heart of Mary

St. Josephine Bakhita

Vicariate VI

Founder

Board of Directors​

Staff

Staff

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Grantor

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

LEADERSHIP
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