"Saint Pierre" of New York

This exquisitely illustrated graphic novel tells how Pierre went from being a house slave to being an independent businessman, a hairdresser to wealthy socialites in New York City—to having a cause for sainthood, for his faith, prayer, and loving service to others. His good works extended from helping orphans and establishing an employment agency to funding the building of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This fascinating telling of Pierre’s life story, starting from his birth in Saint Domingue (now Haiti), will engage the interest of children and young people who otherwise might never hear about a leading Black New Yorker in the first half of 1800s. Pierre Toussaint was the first layperson to be buried beneath the main altar of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, usually reserved for bishops of the Archdiocese of New York. He was declared “Venerable” by Pope John Paul II in 1996.

†