Sister Callista Robinson
Bertha Bowman was born in Yazoo City, Miss., on December 29, 1937, the first and only child of her parents, Mary Esther and Theon Bowman. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a medical doctor. The family later moved to Canton, Miss. She was introduced to religion as a child while attending Sunday school in Canton. She later became acquainted with Catholics and informed her parents that she wanted to become a Catholic. In 1947 she was baptized and made her first communion. Bertha was enrolled in the Holy Child Jesus Catholic School in 1949 by her parents. The school was staffed by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from La Crosse, Wis.
As a junior in high school, she decided to enter the convent because of the example of the sisters and priests who staffed the school and parish. She wanted to be a part of the effort to help feed the hungry, find shelter for the homeless and teach the children. In 1953, Bertha entered the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. As a novice, she received the name Thea, which means “of God.”
After professing vows, she began her teaching ministry at Holy Child Jesus Catholic School in Canton. After teaching for a while, Sister Thea returned to La Crosse and began her studies at Viterbo College and graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education.
She received both a Master of Arts degree and a Ph.D. from Catholic University and was appointed the Chair of the English Department at Viterbo College. Sister Thea was one of the founders of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans.
Sister Thea gave many conferences and speeches on Black spirituality, music and preaching in the Black Catholic community. In 1984, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment.
In 1989, Sister Thea spoke to the bishops of the United States at their November meeting. Her presentation included a history of the faithfulness of Black Catholics and the importance of Black Sacred Song which is holistic, participatory, real, spirit filled and life giving.
Sister Thea died on March 30, 1990. The funeral services were held at Holy Child Jesus Church in Canton and at St. Mary’s Church in West Jackson, Miss. She was buried beside her parents in Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tenn.
At the Bishops Conference on November 18, 2018, Bishop Joseph Kopacz of Jackson, Miss., presented the edict opening the formal investigation into her cause for canonization with this introduction:
“We all share in the joy of this moment presenting the Cause for Canonization of Sister Thea Bowman, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration from Canton, Mississippi. With one mind and one heart the faithful within and well beyond the Diocese of Jackson have asked that Sister Thea’s cause be undertaken”.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved and supported her cause for canonization.
Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman, joins Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God, Julia Greely, Venerable Henriette Deille, Servant of God, Mother Mary Lange as the African Americans in the process for canonization.
