By Chinotu Kwelle, a senior at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas
Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, was born on December 29, 1937, as Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. She was the only child to a well-respected middle-class family in Yazoo City, Mississippi. She began to grow her love for God at an early age because her family was rooted in scripture, stories and music. She attended church with her family every Sunday where she developed her love for sermons and music. Bertha attended Holy Child Jesus School in Canton, Mississippi. She was drawn to Catholicism because of how the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration truly cared for the Black students. At the age of nine, she was baptized as a Catholic and fell in love with sisterhood. She told her parents about her desire to become a sister, but her parents were not pleased. At the age of 15, she became a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse, Wisconsin on August 21, 1953, taking the religious name Thea. She was welcomed into the convent with open arms, but as the only Black sister, she still had to find her footing in an all-white community. She was an excellent student, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English, and trained to become a teacher. She became the first African American woman to receive a Doctorate in Theology from Boston College.
Sister Thea taught at Blessed Sacrament Elementary School in La Crosse for two years. At that time, she needed to return to Canton to care for her aging parents, so she was assigned to teach at Holy Child Jesus School in Canton, Mississippi, for seven years. At the time of her return, the bishop of Jackson, Mississippi, Joseph Brunini, appointed Sister Thea as the director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs for the Diocese of Jackson, and she received the blessing of her religious community to fulfill this appointment. In this position, she was able to advocate for Black Catholics. In 1984, she lost both of her parents, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite her diagnosis, she said, “I’ll live until I die,” and she did just that. Her most important speaking address was in 1989 to the United States Bishops, where she explained how Black Catholics feel in the Catholic Church. After six years of battling cancer, Sister Thea Bowman died in her hometown surrounded by her Franciscan sisters and her best friend on March 20, 1990.
The most inspiring thing about Sister Thea Bowman is that she never let her cancer get in the way of serving the Lord. Even though she got sicker each day, she still traveled the world and spread the good news of the Lord. One quality of Sister Thea’s that I would like to emulate in my own life is her perseverance. In any tough situation, I am prone to complain, but Sister Thea never complained when things got tough. She did not complain or say to God, “Why me?” She took on the challenges in her life and placed them in God’s hands.
It is important for Black Catholics to be recognized as saints because it recognizes how courageous Black people were during the time of segregation. Black Catholics feel validated that white Catholics no longer see them as outsiders but as people who served the Lord with their whole hearts. From a young age, Sister Thea Bowman wanted to become a sister. Young Catholics should not be afraid of the calling of God. God can use anyone, no matter your age, to bring glory to God’s name. Catholics should be reminded that we are all part of the Body of Christ, working together to be closer to Jesus. We should not be ashamed that we are Catholics but display our Catholic faith proudly just as Sister Thea did. Sister Thea Bowman taught me to always be joyful in all circumstances. She taught me to praise God in all circumstances and radiate joy in every room I walk into. Sister Thea Bowman’s life is an example of a faithful Catholic irrespective of color, background, and age.