ture and to purchase additional property for a new
building in 1869. To finance these undertakings he had the cooperation
of Father Walters in St. Patrick's.

The new structure, planned to cost about $100,000, was begun in 1874
and completed and dedicated in the midst of impressive ceremonies in
1876. At first it was thought best to place this church under the
patronage of the Blessed Martin de Porrers. According to the
regulation of the church law, however, whereas a chapel could be
designated in honor of an ecclesiastic, a parish church could not be
thus dedicated, but must be named for one of the Saints. It was then
decided to name it for St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in Africa. Upon
the completion of this structure the Negro Catholic congregation was
given a new standing in the community and in the United States.

In 1881 the death of Father Barroti marked an epoch in the history of
this church. For some time there was serious doubt as to how the
congregation could secure the services of some one so well equipped as
this sacrificing churchman. Fortunately, however, the zealous Fathers
of St. Joseph, an order established in England for the special benefit
of the Negroes, came to take up the task. Thoroughly devoted to their
work and believing in the uplift of the Negroes to a plane of equality
with the whites, these Fathers caused the white Catholics much trouble
by imposing upon those visiting St. Augustine's the same restrictions
that some of the Catholic churches after the Civil War began to impose
upon Negroes worshipping elsewhere. Chief among these may be mentioned
Fathers Michael J. Walsh as rector, with Father Girard Wiersma and
Father Francis P. Kerrick as associate pastors. Later he had such
assistants as Father Burke and Father Hohlman. The successor of Father
Walsh was the Rev. Paul Griffith, with Father G. A. Dougherty as
assistant and later an additional assistant in the person of the Rev.
Father H. Bischoff. Father Olds succeeded Father Griffith, having as
his assistant Father O'Connor and Father Mihm. As the church had the
cooperation of Archbishop Spaulding in his day, it was similarly
assisted by Archbishop Baily and especially so by Archbishop Gibbons,
later Cardinal. Among the teachers who made possible the increasing
membership by their valuable work in the parochial school of the
church should be mentioned Miss Mary Smith, later Mrs. W. F. Benjamin,
Mr. Ambrose Queen, and Miss Eliza Ann Cook.[