AAMEN ESSAY WINNER #1: Jack Jameson
The African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization Network (AAMEN) invites you to join us in celebration of National Black Catholic History Month (NBCHM). In 1990, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus designated November as NBCHM. The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus chose Notre Dame University’s Theodore Hesburgh Library to entrust the archives. These historical documents contain information about African-American Catholic priests, sisters, brothers, deacons, seminarians and lay people. November also marks a time, when in loving remembrance, the church prays for all saints and souls, as well as a time to recall the saints and souls of Africa and African diaspora.
To celebrate NBCHM, St. Michael Chapter of AAMEN worked with St. Michael School to introduce the Middle School students to Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, an African American convert to Catholicism. She was a Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The students studied the life of Sr. Thea, her contributions to the Catholic Church, and were invited to write an essay. The winning essays will be featured in the bulletins though-out the month of November. Please take time to reflect on Sr. Thea Bowman as she awaits our church’s recognition as a Saint.
Seventh Grade – Jack Jameson
“Sister Thea Bowman was born on December 29, 1937. Her influence on the Catholic church has been recognized by many people. As a child, she was raised by Protestant parents. One thing she noticed and liked was that the Catholic church seemed to care about the poor and needy people. When she was ten, she asked her parents and received permission to convert to Catholicism. As Sister Thea Bowman got older, she helped create the Black Sisters Conference for Religious African-Americans. She was inspired by the “Franciscan Sisters Of Perpetual Adoration” – also known as the “F.S.O.P.A” – a Roman Catholic Congregation for women.
Sister Thea Bowman embraced Catholicism and believed that her ancestral style of worship could be a part of Catholic mass. She believed the music and gospel of African-Americans did not have to be separate from Catholic teachings. Because of her, the first Black Catholic songbook, “Lead Me, Guide Me,” was published in 1987. She encouraged more Blacks to attend Catholic church and spoke about the importance of these two groups engaging, even as the Civil Rights Movement grew.
Sister Thea Bowman maintained her Catholic faith her entire life, even after being diagnosed with cancer in 1984. She was admired by many for the way she lived out the remainder of her life. She died peacefully in 1990 and was buried next to her parents in Memphis, Tennessee.”
Works Cited
“Biography and Legacy of Sr. Thea Bowman.” Viterbo University,
“Sister Thea Bowman’s Story.” Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, https://www.fspa.org/content/about/sister-thea-bowman. Accessed 2 October 2022.