Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA
Guild
Servant of God
Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA
Quarterly E-Newsletter Fall 2021
On July 24, 1990, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States designated the month of November as Black Catholic History Month to celebrate the long history and proud heritage of Black Catholics. Notably, Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA and other Black Catholic clergy, religious, and laity, paved the foundation for many Black Catholic organizations and publications. Sister Thea was invited to give a keynote presentation at the re-established National Black Catholic Congress in Washington, DC in 1987, wrote the introduction to the Lead Me, Guide Me hymnal published in 1987. She contributed to the catechetical resource book, Tell It Like It Is published in 1983. She edited and contributed to the book, Families: Black and Catholic, Catholic and Black published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1985. She was a charter member of the National Black Sisters Conference founded in 1968, and the Black Catholic Theological Symposium in 1978. She was an early faculty member of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies founded at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans in 1980. Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman left an indelible mark on contemporary Black Catholic life and religiosity.
Sister Thea in the News
Pope Urged to canonize 6 Black U.S. Catholics: “If not now, when?”
America Magazine
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2021/11/05/black-saints-catholic-241787
Pope asked to canonize six black sainthood candidates in the U.S.
UCA News – Union of Catholic Asian News
https://www.ucanews.com/news/pope-asked-to-canonize-six-black-sainthood-candidates-in-us/94841#
Grassroots efforts calls on pope to canonize six Black sainthood candidates
Catholic Review – Archdiocese of Baltimore
https://catholicreview.org/african-americans-call-on-pope-to-canonize-six-sainthood-candidates/
African American Sainthood Campaign | Photos – Baltimore Sun
https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bal-md-african-american-sainthood-campaign-vg-20211031-bpuonbneknb6hdl5if3fkeobe4-photogallery.html
Time to Speak: A Call to Unity The Record – Archdiocese of Louisville
https://therecordnewspaper.org/time-to-speak-a-call-for-unity/
The Sister Thea Bowman Committee – Catholic University of America’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives – The CUA Tower Newspaper
http://cuatower.com/2021/07/mel-williams-appointed-to-oversee-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-initiatives/
Black Spirituals Meet the Liturgy: Why I composed a Mass for Black Catholics
America Magazine
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/17/spirituals-catholic-mass-welcome-table-240869
Sister Thea emboldened me to take on racism among my fellow Catholics
Broadview
https://broadview.org/sister-thea-bowman-racial-justice/
Black Catholics are celebrated by Bishop Burbidge and others at a prayer service
Catholic Herald – Diocese of Arlington
https://www.catholicherald.com/News/Local_News/Black_Catholics_are_celebrated_by_Bishop_Burbidge_and_others_at_a_prayer_service/
Brief Update on the Canonization Process
The diocesan tribunal for the cause of beatification / canonization of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA continues to work on completing the Positio to be sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. The pandemic has somewhat determined the timeframe for completing the Positio process. The Positio is a document or collection of documents used in the process by which a person is declared Venerable, the second of the four steps on the path to canonization as a saint. The steps are Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed, and Saint.
In thanksgiving for a spiritual favor received – Darnell Prejean, New Orleans, LA
Darnell Prejean, a life-long Catholic originally from Lafayette, Louisiana and now living in New Orleans was diagnosed with leukemia last year. Prejean, a registered nurse, knew that his leukemia was serious and life-threatening. Two cousins had died of leukemia and Darnell was determined not to succumb to this deadly cancer. Throughout his life, Darnell who has a beautiful tenor singing voice has sung for years in his Catholic church choir. He was always inspired by Sister Thea’s singing and contagious joy. During his search for a bone marrow match, he sought Sister Thea’s intercession to fully recover from leukemia. Darnell found his bone marrow match in his sister, Helena, and the transplant took place in January.
In May, Darnell was overjoyed because his recent bone marrow biopsy results were negative indicating no detection of cancer. As a result, Darnell has less frequent doctor visits and blood work. He continues to have medication adjustments and is working hard to improve his strength and endurance but through it all remains grateful for the many prayers for his healing. Throughout this health challenge, Darnell Prejean, took Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman as his personal intercessor. He even wore his Sister Thea Bowman pin while in the hospital. Darnell says, “I’m so grateful for the inspiration I found in seeking Sister Thea’s intercession. She’s a blessing to me!”
Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA:
A Beautiful Work of Art Reflecting a Beautiful Woman of God
Artist Vernon Adams
Growing up at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi in the Diocese of Jackson, Vernon Adams had heard about a fellow Mississippian, charismatic African American Catholic Franciscan Sister named Sister Thea Bowman, but he never had the opportunity to meet her.
Regaled by the Sister Thea stories, they remained with him as he moved to Memphis, Tennessee and joined Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church where they had a picture of Sister Thea in the church. The congregation also promoted an annual pilgrimage to Sister Thea’s grave at Elmwood cemetery in Memphis on the anniversary of her death, March 30th. Adams, 36 years old, admits that he found Sister Thea’s life and ministry compelling and as an artist would one day like to paint a portrait of her. He said, “Sister Thea’s eyes pull you in and reverently holds you. Her life and legacy are so empowering that I hope that my portrait will draws others to know Sister Thea’s life and ministry and to seek her powerful intercession. I also want young people of my generation to know about this phenomenal African American Sister.” Vernon Adams, did in fact, paint Sister Thea’s portrait in acrylic on canvas and called it, “Gladiolus in the Valley” because the gladiolus flower symbolizes strength. “Like the symbolism of the gladiolus flower, Sister Thea embodies strength.
As a black Catholic religious Sister and teacher, she was known for her oratory skills with which she challenged minds. It was not only to elevate awareness to the beauty of black culture but to embrace all of our roles in cross cultural collaboration to better us as a society,” said Adams.
If you are interested in owning a print of Vernon Adam’s portrait of Sister Thea, please click the link below:
The 2021 Gallagher Talk by the Paulist Catholic Information Center in Grand Rapids (October 28, 2021) – YouTube Link
The 2021 Annual Gallagher Talk featuring Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS speaking on and showing artwork on Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA (1937-1990) who integrated her Catholic faith and African American pride and serves as a beacon for the Church to celebrate diversity, inclusiveness, and love for all.
The YouTube link is below:
New Thea Book:
We Are Beloved: 30 Days with Thea Bowman (30 Days with a Great Spiritual Teacher) Edited by Karianna Frey - 112 pages, Ave Maria Press (December 3, 2021)
We Are Beloved offers you a personal, thirty-day retreat based on the prophetic words of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, a renowned Black Catholic evangelizer, teacher, writer, and singer. Requiring only a few minutes each day, We Are Beloved allows you to reflect deeply on your fundamental need for belonging, the healing community offered by the Church, and the challenge to welcome all people in the Body of Christ.
We Are Beloved offers selections from four decades of Bowman’s writings, reflections, presentations, and interviews. Bowman has gained attention in the last several years: her cause for canonization was endorsed in 2018 and the 2020 national reckoning with racism highlighted her as one of the prophetic voices in the Church that have been marginalized.
When she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in 1952, Bowman was the first Black sister in the community. Throughout her ministry, she highlighted the need to make Black Americans feel more welcome in Catholic Church. In her powerful testimonies that included gospel singing, preaching, and storytelling, she honored the richness of diverse communities and encouraged people of all races to find joy in unity.
We Are Beloved offers thirty days of brief morning meditations, mantras for use throughout the day, and night prayers to focus your thoughts at the day’s end. This simple book is the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in Bowman’s vibrant vision of joy in unity. Reflecting perceptively on the dignity of all people, Bowman also encourages you to root out sources of division in your life and calls you to continual conversion.
Each book in the Great Spiritual Teacher series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.
A Thea Thought
“Let’s remember the ones who brought us this far in faith, who led us and fed us in faith: St. Simon of Cyrene and the Ethiopian eunuch, Anthony of Egypt, Cyril of Alexandria, Moses the Black, Martin de Porres, Charles Lwanga and the Ugandan martyrs, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Henriette Delille, Augustus Tolton, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B DuBois, Mary Church Terrell, Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrew Young, James Baldwin, Desmond Tutu, the Black Catholic bishops, all the priests, sisters, and teachers, preachers, and leaders, all the fathers and mothers, grandparents, and great-grans, adoptive parents, godparents, play parents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, friends, neighbors, lovers, and children.”
“Black History and Culture”
U.S. Catholic Historian
Prayer Intentions
We invite you to submit prayer intentions seeking Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA’s intercession. Your prayer intentions will be sent to the Motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (Sr. Thea’s religious community) in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and the prayers will be placed at the altar where the sisters pray in perpetual adoration before the Holy Eucharist. Also know that there will be a monthly Mass offered for your petitions as well. Thank you for submitting your prayer request. Sister Thea, pray for us!
Please submit your prayer intention here:
Testimonies
We invite you to submit testimonies of spiritual favors received through seeking Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA’s intercession. In your submission, please include your full name, city and state, and your email address. If we post your testimony in our e-newsletter we will only use your first name, city, and state. Thank you and God Bless!
Please submit your testimonies here:
E-Newsletter Subscription
Please invite others to subscribe to the quarterly e-newsletter promoting the canonization of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. Thank you!
Subscription link:
Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA
Lapel Pin
You can now receive a beautiful lapel pin of Sister Thea for a donation of $22.50 which includes the lapel pin, shipping, and handling. The lapel pin is only offered in the US. You can order your Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA lapel pin at the link below:
Holy Cards and Brochures
To order Sr. Thea prayer cards and or brochures please write or call the Diocese of Jackson:
Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA Prayer Cards / Brochures
Catholic Diocese of Jackson
237 E. Amite Street
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 969-1880
Celebrate Sister Thea’s 84th Heavenly Birthday and End of the Year Giving
Sister Thea was born on December 29, 1937. Would you please consider honoring Sister Thea with a birthday “end of the year” financial gift to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson to assist in her cause of canonization? You can give online at the Jackson Diocese website link below:
You may also mail donations to:
Sister Thea Bowman Cause for Canonization
Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson
237 E. Amite Street
Jackson, MS 39206
Thank you in advance for your kind donation for a very special cause!
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