The St. Katherine Drexel Family Life Center played host to a gala Saturday.

A gala to support the canonization of the Venerable Augustus Tolton was held Saturday at St. Edward Catholic Church, with awards distributed to several local parishioners as part of the ceremony.

The event was put on with the aid of the Tolton Spirituality Center out of Chicago, Ill., which aims to promote the life and legacy of Tolton, who was born a slave in 1854 and died in 1897.

Tolton was the first recognizably Roman Catholic priest of African descent in America and is known as “a pioneer, an apostle of charity and inclusion, and a symbol of the universality of the Church” according to Tolton Spirituality Center.

“It was a wonderful event,” event coordinator Clair Manuel said. “There were about 270 people, it turned out great.”

The gala featured music from the Bunk Johnson Brazz Band and a silent auction. Jalana Durall, a New Iberia native and professional musician, also performed at the event.

Awards given during the event included the Postulator’s Award given to John Reedom, the Anne Tolton Pettis Award given to Rita LeBlanc, the Peter Paul and Martha Jane Award given to Anthony and Marilyn Green, and the Fr. Peter McGirr Award given to Chester Arcenaux.

The Tolton Award was also awarded to Rev. Msgr. Ronald Green. The award recognizes those who have followed Tolton’s vocation in providing a thriving multicultural ministry while living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The ceremony allowed New Iberia to become the hub for the Tolton Cause, which has Tolton Ambassadors working to develop a culture of inclusion, a more just social environment and opportunities for the participation of all in the life of the Church in America.

A Tolton Ambassador is a layperson accredited and sent by the Tolton Cause as a regional messenger of Tolton.

As of October 2020, there were 50 ambassadorial members, 20 associate members and two deceased members of the Tolton Cause. The organization is stationed in Louisiana, Illinois, Georgia, Indiana, and several other states.

The Tolton Spirituality Center was established as a non-profit clearinghouse and community hub and strives to collaborate with congregations across the country. The gala was the inaugural effort to do ministry in Louisiana, according to the founder of the center the Rev. A. Gerard Jordan.