Sister Thea Bowman, shooting star: Selected writings and speeches

Although not well known, Bowman (1937-1990), an African-American Franciscan nun who died way too young, was one of the 20th century prophets in the American Church. Her contributions are many. In the spirit of Vatican II, she worked to empower the laity, trying to break through the entrenched "Father knows best" way of thinking about authority that was common in the Church during her lifetime. (In this regard, she reminds me of Verna Dozier, another 20th century African American prophet who sought laity empowerment in the Episcopal Church). She worked to make the Church more hospitable to African American Catholics by encouraging the incorporatation of the black spiritual experience into worship. Her final years of horrible suffering from the cancer that finally killed her opened up a new ministry for her: working with those who suffer from chronic ailments, helping them to see their suffering as redemptive.Celestine Cepress, one of Sister Bowman's colleagues from Viterbo College and a member of the same order (Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration), has compiled a good selection of Bowman's writings and speech transcripts. The collection is a bit repetitious in places, but this is probably inevitable in this sort of book. The collection chronicles Bowman's early years in Mississippi (as a Protestant), her conversion, her years as a novice, her teaching career, and her short, shooting star life as a roaming spokeswoman for renewal.A few selections from Bowman's writings:"I think one difference between me and some other people is that I'm content to do my little bit.