Tomb of the Unknown Slave

Tomb of the Unknown Slave at St. Augustine Church.

I was struck with awe when I saw the Tomb of the Unknown Slave in the "Shake the Devil Off" documentary. The simple chain-linked cross was imposing yet majestic. On St. Augustine's Church website, it briefly lists the history and origins of the cross. The idea came from a letter in which William Savoy addressed Father Jerome LeDoux, S.V.D. about building a monument commemorating slaves with unmark graves. Savory was unable to further develop the plans for the monument and Father LeDoux was left in charge. Early ideas included actual relics or ashes being embedded in the altar. The idea was later replaced with crosses to emphasize on the idea of tombs for unknown slaves. The idea for the chain-linked cross arose almost simultaneously. Father LeDoux and John Peter "Jay" Matranga both came to the same conclusion while contemplating on the monument. The actual cross itself was constructed from a abandoned marine chain. According to the St. Augustine's website, each link weighs in at forty five pounds, giving the cross an overall weight of fifteen hundred pounds. The cross stands at St. Augustine Church as a symbol of the strong faith for Afro-Catholics. At the same time, the cross serves as a memorial for all slaves that were not properly buried and identified. The cross's rugged structure reminds Afro-Catholics of the intense struggles of early slaves. It is a physical representation of the cross that is expected to be carried for Afro-Catholics. [St. Augustine's website, here]