Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Bones May Be Those of Prospective Saint

Skeletal remains found in Manhattan were believed to be those of a former Haitian slave under consideration for sainthood, a medical examiner said. The former slave, Pierre Toussaint, was buried at the cemetery where the bones were found after his death in 1853 at age 87. As a preliminary part of the Roman Catholic Church’s consideration for sainthood, his skeletal remains were sought and were scheduled to be moved to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. They eventually would be distributed in Haiti and prominent churches if the church makes him a saint. Toussaint was born a slave in Haiti and moved to New York with his owner’s family in 1787. After becoming a hairdresser, he supported his owner’s wife and child for 20 years after his owner died. Officials have said they hope Toussaint could be approved for sainthood by the time Pope John Paul II visits Haiti in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus.