Honoring Pierre Toussaint at Historic St. Peter's on Barclay Street

I've been doing some research into the life of Pierre Toussaint, the enslaved hairdresser being considered for sainthood, and found that this coming Friday is the anniversary of his death. If he ever should be canonized and made a saint, then this will be his feast day. Toussaint is featured on my walking tour, "When New York Held Slaves", offered through my other group, Friendly Native New Yorker Walking Tours.

This is a great opportunity to visit the beautiful St. Peter's Church on Barclay and Church streets, where the noon Mass will be offered for this 170th anniversary of his death. It was built before the Gothic Revival, so it's a very different sort of interior, as you see in the image on this page.

St. Peter's is the oldest Catholic congregation in New York state, founded once the Constitution was ratified and it was no longer illegal to practice Catholicism in New York. Pierre Toussaint worshipped here for over 60 years, both the original 18th-century building and this one from the 1830s. As a matter of fact, this very St. Peter's was the site of his funeral.

Here's a link to the weekly bulletin from St. Peter's, which includes a column on the life and accomplishments of Pierre Toussaint:
https://files.ecatholic.com/11843/bulletins/20230625.pdf?t=1687367188000

And here is the Wikipedia article on Pierre Toussaint: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Toussaint

WHEN TO MEET: This service is slated to start at 12:30 pm, so for us to meet and sit together, please get there early at 12:00 pm. I will be standing in the vestibule, holding a handwritten sign reading MEETUP. Take a good look at my profile picture to recognize me!

WHERE: This Mass will be held at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. This church is located on the corner of Barclay Street and Church Street.

COST: The event itself is free, but there is our usual $1 Meetup fee to help pay for the subscription. Just give it to me when we meet. Chances are that there will be a collection, so you may want to have a donation fee ready for that, too.