Thea bowman quotes
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Biography
Educator, Missionary Disciple, Advocate for Cultural Awareness and Racial Harmony
Diocese of Jackson in Mississippi
“We unite ourselves with Christ’s redemptive work when we reconcile, when we make peace, when we share the good news that God is in our lives, when we reflect to our brothers and sisters God’s healing, God’s forgiveness, God’s unconditional love.”
Sister Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A., shared these words a few weeks before dying of cancer in her home in Canton, Mississippi as part of a reflection on Holy Week, entitled, “Let Us Resolve to Make This Week A Holy One” in the Diocese of Jackson’s newspaper, Mississippi Today. These would be the final public words of a religious woman who dedicated her life to spreading the joy of the Gospel and promoting cultural awareness and racial reconciliation.
A self-proclaimed, “’old folks’ child,” Thea Bowman, was the only child born to middle-aged parents, Dr. Theon Bowman, a physician and Mary Esther Bowman, a teacher. At birth she was given the name Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. She was born in 1937 and reared in Canton, Miss
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Sister Thea Bowman's Story
Cause for Canonization
The U.S. bishops endorsed the sainthood cause of Sister Thea Bowman on Nov. 14, 2018, during their fall assembly in Baltimore. The granddaughter of slaves, she was the only African American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and she transcended racism to leave a lasting mark on U.S. Catholic life in the late 20th century. Read U.S. Bishops Conduct Canonical Consultation on Cause for Canonization of Thea Bowman, FSPA. Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration continue to follow the Diocese of Jackson’s lead as the process moves forward. We’ve added an intention in our Adoration Chapel for everyone involved. The process has been documented in numerous news media articles, as featured on our Thea In The News page.
visit her cause for canonization
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Documentary
"Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman's Journey to Sainthood"
The documentary at the top of this page tells Sist
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She had been a teacher in Blessed Sacrament School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Holy Child Jesus High School in Canton, Mississippi, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin and the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In her position as Consultant for Intercultural Awareness for the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, Sister Thea frequently worked with children to help them grow in awareness of their gifts and of their cultural heritage. Through song, dance, poetry, drama and story, she communicated joy, freedom and pride, using traditional Black teaching techniques that are holistic, participatory and reality focused.
Sister Thea made more than 100 public appearances each year, giving lectures, recitals, short courses, workshops, and conference presentations, spreading the message that people are gifted, that Black is beautiful, and that cross-cultural collaboration enriches both education and living.
In Nigeria, Kenya, Canada, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, New York to Florida, Missis
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