Famed Author to Visit Village’s Teen Center, Give Presentation
Most Recent Book Details Life of Teen Center’s Namesake, Pierre Toussaint

   SAN DIEGO — St. Vincent de Paul Village’s Toussaint Teen Center (TTC), 1404 5th Avenue, will welcome Arthur Jones, author of the book "Pierre Toussaint: A Biography," on Sunday, February 22, at 1 p.m., where he will give a PowerPoint presentation on the life of the facility’s namesake.

   Toussaint, a childhood hero of Father Joe Carroll’s, was born in Haiti, the child of a slave owned by a wealthy New York family. A black man and Catholic, Toussaint became a skilled hairstylist, a profession that led to his financial prosperity. After his 1807 emancipation, Toussaint devoted his life to helping the church and poor children of New York City.

   "Pierre Toussaint was a man in whom I have found much inspiration," says Father Joe. "Much of the work I do and many of my life philosophies of helping the needy are based on his caring and giving nature."

   Father Joe adds that Jones’ visit comes at a significant time: "His presentation at the teen center could not have come during a more appropriate time, that time being Black History Month."

   In addition to bearing Toussaint’s name, the facility is home to a stained glass montage of the slave-turned-savior’s life and a bronze statue depicting Toussaint offering a child a helping hand.

   Currently listed as Venerable, Toussaint will likely become the Roman Catholic Church’s first black saint.

   The TTC provides 30 residential units to homeless and abandoned youths. The facility is also home to the Toussaint Academy, a county-run high school attended by residents of the building and other area teens. In addition to securing a high school education, youths living at the facility have access to myriad services, including job training, counseling, medical care, chemical dependency classes and life-skills programs, all aimed at helping them become productive, responsible and well-adjusted adults.

   Jones is editor-at-large of the National Catholic Reporter and a contributor to The Tablet (London), England’s leading Catholic weekly. A former editor and bureau chief of Forbes magazine and a former correspondent for the Financial Times (London), Financial World, and World Trade, he is the author of eight books, including Capitalism and Christians, and is coauthor of the recently published The Race for the White House.

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