A professor from Boston College will bring to life the story of one Franciscan nun in a brand-new documentary. M. Shawn Copeland narrates the life story of Thea Bowman, a Franciscan nun destined for sainthood.
Life Story
According to a report with The Catholic Review, Copeland is professor emerita of systematic theology at Boston College.
The documentary is titled "Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman's Journey to Sainthood."
The film follows the life and death of Bowman. The Franciscan nun was only 52 when she died in 1990. She passed away, fighting complications of breast cancer.
Person of Faith
According to the report, the documentary will air on ABC stations on Sunday, Oct. 2. WJLA in Washington will broadcast the film at noon.
Franciscan religious Sist. Judith Ann Zielinski wrote and produced the film. The movie is an hour long and is a presentation of the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission.
Bowman was born to a doctor and a teacher. She was raised in Canton, Mississippi. Her parents raised her in the Protestant faith.
Only when she attended Holy Child Jesus school did she realize that she wanted to embrace Catholicism. At only nine years old, the young Bowman would make this decision that would change her life.
She would later express her desire to join the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at only 15 years old. Her parents were against the idea, so she staged a hunger strike.
The movie also features archival footage and re-enactments directed by Christopher Salvador. The documentary follows Bowman's life as a novitiate in La Crosse.
Cultural Awareness
Before she became a nun, she was a teacher and a professor of English literature. She would later be appointed by Bishop Joseph B. Brunini of Jackson, Mississippi.
Bowman led the diocese's Office of Intercultural Awareness. It was this event that would change her life.
She was always an advocate for racial harmony. Bowman began to spread her message of God's love with her speeches and singing voice.
Love for Teaching
Bowman was featured on CBS' "60 Minutes." She later found out that she had breast cancer.
According to the website, Bowman used her gifts to spread God's message of love. She was gifted with a brilliant mind, a beautiful voice, and a dynamic personality.
While she first had a love of teaching, she soon realized that this was not the life for her. She spent 16 years as a teacher and professor.
The bishop of Jackson, Mississippi, invited her to become the consultant for intercultural awareness.
As a consultant, Sister Thea gave presentations across the country.
As an African American, she became the catalyst in breaking down cultural barriers. She hosted gatherings that were a combination of singing, gospel preaching, prayer, and storytelling.
Sister Thea also launched programs directed to destroy racial and cultural barriers. She often encouraged people to communicate and help one another.
She explained that doing so would make them understand other cultures and races.
Recently, Sister Kathy Roberg shared Sister Thea's story with the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center.
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