5 Questions with ... Cause of Servant of God Thea Bowman
In our ninth installment of our "5 Questions with ..." interview series we have an interview with Mary Woodward, Chancellor of the Diocese of Jackson, speaking about the Cause of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman. You can learn more about Servant of God Thea Bowman here on her page at American Saints and Causes. Thank you, Mary, for participating!
(If you are associated with a cause and would like to participate in our interview series, email us or use the form on our Contact Us page. New to the series? You can find an index of all 5 Questions entries here.)
American Saints and Causes: Would you introduce yourself and how did you come to work with the cause of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman?
Mary Woodward: My name is Mary Woodward and I am the Chancellor for the Diocese of Jackson. I became involved in the cause because the documentation and paperwork for canonical processes outside of the marriage tribunal are handled by the chancellor's office in our diocese. The cause for beatification and canonization is a very large and intricate canonical process. Our office works with the postulator, the various commissions, and the cause tribunal in gathering all the necessary papers and evidences to send to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Holy See. We hope to have this diocesan phase of the cause's process completed by the end of this year.
American Saints and Causes: For those who don't know her, who is Thea Bowman? What can the faithful learn from her witness to Christ?
Mary Woodward: Sr. Thea called herself an "ole folks' child." She had a deep, abiding love for the Lord, which was exhibited through her presence and aura. She drew others to the Lord through her witness to how the Lord moved in the depths of her heart and how the Lord nourished her beautiful spirituality of making room for all at the Lord's table. She was a powerful beacon of faith, home, and love, shining forth in the world. Her drive to empower African American Catholics and those on the margins to take their rightful place in the church as fully functioning participants in the liturgy and parish life still resonates in the Church today. It was a fierce example of how the Second Vatican Council called for all the baptized to be active, conscious participants in the life of the church. Her collaborative work on the Lead Me, Guide Me hymnal along with her work with the Black Catholic Institute at Xavier in New Orleans helped create an inspired dynamic of Catholic identity in the United States which flowed over into other communities around the world.
American Saints and Causes: The saints often serve as examples to the faithful of how to follow Christ and grow in holiness. How has Servant of God Thea Bowman impacted you? How has she helped you live your faith?
Mary Woodward: An oil portrait of Sr. Thea Bowman by Marshall Bouldin hangs in my office and she watches over me all day long. Sr. Thea's magnificent inner strength emanating from her indefatigable spirit inspire me to be more open and welcoming of all people. She inspires me to see in others the dignity and beauty God has created in them. Her mission and love for the Lord and for spreading his message of justice and mercy continue to guide me in my daily actions. What better example than a strong, southern, Catholic woman to be my guide in the ins and outs of church life and ministry.
When I watch her amazing message she delivered to the U.S. bishops and listen to her words of wisdom, truth, and vigor in spite of her extermely painful condition that was sapping her mortality, how can I not be inspired to witness to her profound beautiful soul.
American Saints and Causes: What are the next steps for the cause? Are there any potential miracles being evaluated that might lead to her beatification?
Mary Woodward: The next step for the cause is to complete the diocesan phase by the end of this year. We are getting very close to that, but there are a lot of details to shore up. Once we get all the papers in place and close this part of the process, we will send it all to Rome to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints where the Roman phase of further documentation and examination of her virtues and piety will be completed. After this phase is completed, she may be advanced forward for the title of "venerable."
Any potential miracles will be evaluated through the prescribed canonical process after the diocesan phase is completed and sent to Rome.
American Saints and Causes: If someone wanted to help, how could they best support or assist the work of the cause of Servant of God Thea Bowman?
Mary Woodward: The best way to help right now is to pray for those working on the diocesan phase and to pray for Sr. Thea's intercession for the success of her cause. Another way to help through prayer is to encourage family and friends to pray for Sr. Thea's intercession in times of struggle and sickness. Please send any spiritual favors to us so we can include those in the papers going to Rome.
Learn more about Sr. Thea and share her story with others so they may come to know her beautiful spirit.
The cause does have some financial requirements so if anyone would like to support the cause financially, please visit our website and make a donation.
Thanks again, Mary, for helping us learn more about Servant of God Thea Bowman! Those who wish can learn more about her here on American Saints and Causes and the cause on their website.