Sister Thea Bowman
Bertha Elizabeth Bowman entered the world on December 29, 1937, in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Raised a Protestant, she was deeply influenced by her education. She attended a Catholic school led by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. At the age of 9, she asked her parents if she could become a Catholic. Throughout her life, Sister Thea shared the message of God's love.
Sister Thea Bowman
“What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I come to my Church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it? I come to my Church fully functioning. I bring myself; my black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become. I bring my whole history, my traditions, my experience, my culture, my African-American song and dance and gesture and movement and teaching and preaching and healing and responsibility - as gifts to the Church.”
Journey to Sainthood.
Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood presents the riveting life of Sister Thea Bowman, an African American Catholic Franciscan Sister who used her powerful gifts to educate and challenge the church and society to grow in racial inclusivity.