Saints Among Us: Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA

“Are You With Me, Church?”

I was first introduced to Sister Thea Bowman by my classmate Beverly Ann Stewart, a long-time minister and health-care professional in the African American community in Chicago. Bev talked about Sister Thea Bowman the way you talk about a favorite auntie or your most trusted mentor. I soon discovered why Bev exuded such infectious joy and pride for this beloved preacher and teacher. Sister Thea invited everyone – regardless of race or background – to know themselves as beloved by God and gifted for the work of God’s kingdom.

Wherever she went, Sister Thea spoke and sang the Gospel! Raised in Mississippi, she was a convert to Catholicism at age 9, and as a young woman, she joined the all-white Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. As a founder of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, Sister Thea gave voice to the Black historical, spiritual, and cultural experience; and she helped many people bring together their African American heritage and Catholic faith.

In 2018, Sister Thea’s cause for canonization was approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which means the path has been opened for Sister Thea to be formally recognized as a Saint – someone who is united with God and intercedes on our behalf. Sister Thea, however, has long been recognized among the Black community as a holy and prophetic woman whose living witness points the way to Christ.

In recent months – as the racial inequities in our country are again at the forefront of our collective consciousness – I find myself calling on Sister Thea, asking for her intercession, and seeking a word of hope.

One of Sister Thea’s most notable public appearances came during a meeting of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 1989. In clear terms and impassioned voice, Sister Thea brought to life the ways Black people were impacted by poverty, violence, incarceration, and inadequate access to health care. She did not shy away from the Catholic Church’s long history of racism, and the ways that Black men and women were kept out of the priesthood and religious life. Her stark facts and analysis of systemic racism were met with stunned silence from this room full of mostly white men. After a long pause, she asked, “Are you with me, church?”

Saints offer prophetic words, appropriate for their time, and their wisdom transcends generations. Thirty years later, I wonder what Sister Thea would say to us today? Surely, she would have a word of compassion for the Black lives who have been needlessly harassed, arrested, or killed. I imagine she would also impart a loving (painful?) word of truth to the bystander, the powerful, and those of us for whom it is just as easy to look the other way.

• Sister Thea said, “Some of the best preaching does not go on in the pulpit!” She reminds us of our responsibility as disciples to preach, teach, worship and pray. Our work to end systemic racism is part of this call. And it is the duty of all of us!
• Sister Thea calls the Black community to joyful, authentic, unapologetic worship. In one of her most frequently quoted lines she says, “What does it mean to be black and Catholic? It means I come to my Church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it? 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 as teaching and preaching and healing and responsibility as a gift to the Church.”
• At the end of the meeting, Sister Thea invited the bishops to join her in an emotional rendition of the African American spiritual We Shall Overcome. She reminds us of the strength that comes from unity. She says, “The Church is a family of families, and the family got to stay together! If we walk and talk and work and play and stand together in Jesus’ name – we’ll be who we say we are – truly Catholic. And we shall overcome – overcome the poverty, overcome loneliness, overcome alienation.”

Sister Thea continues to remind us that there is room for everyone at God’s table! She spent her life fighting prejudice, breaking down racial and cultural barriers, and bringing people together through the gift of song, dance, and the love of Jesus. Her words continue to speak through the Black Catholic community.

I am so grateful to my classmate Beverly and others who introduced me to the Saints and ancestors among the Black church. My experience of the incomprehensible mystery of God, my understanding of what it means to be Catholic, and my own call to work for justice would be incomplete unless I heed the prophetic witness of my sisters and brothers who do not look like me.

Finally, a word to my white sisters and brothers:

-if the work of racial justice and addressing systemic racism makes you uncomfortable …

-if you say to yourself, “who am I as a white person to do this work” …

-if you feel guilty or ashamed when you recognize your own racist attitudes or past behaviors …

-if you’re fearful of speaking up because you’re afraid of making a mistake …

-if you are skeptical when you hear others talk about “white privilege” …

I invite you to ask Sister Thea Bowman to show you a way forward. Let her sing a new song into your heart.

Are you with me, Church?

Going Deeper:

• To learn more about Sister Thea Bowman’s life and her path to sainthood, read more from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
• The complete text of Sister Thea Bowman’s remarks at the USCCB are available here.
• November is Black Catholic History Month:
  • Learn more about the six Black men and women on the path to Sainthood.
• For prayers, books, articles, homilies, and more – follow this link to additional Racial Justice Resources from Becky Eldredge.

Photo by Edwin Andracle on Unsplash.com

Beth Knobbe

Beth Knobbe is an author, speaker, and ministry professional based in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and serves as a Senior Trainer with Catholic Relief Services, engaging Catholics in living their faith in solidarity with the poor around the world. Beth is an avid traveler and is passionate about her vocation to the single life. Beth is the author of Party of One: Living Single with Faith, Purpose, and Passion (2011) and Finding My Voice: A Young Woman’s Perspective (2009). Her personal blog can be found at www.bethknobbe.com.