WASHINGTON — A new documentary on Sister Thea Bowman shines a light on her life and work as an advocate for racial justice and intercultural understanding.
The idea for the documentary came to Franciscan Sister Judith Ann Zielinski, who wrote and produced the film, after the 2020 death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. “I thought, I have to do something, what can I do?” and “Thea Bowman popped into my head.”
The documentary is a comprehensive look at Sister Thea, the first African American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and one of six Black Catholics known as a “Servant of God.” It also makes a case for her sainthood and for contemporary spirituality, Sister Zielinski said.
“Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood,” comes from NewGroup Media and the Diocese of Jackson, Miss. Along with archival media of Sister Thea, the documentary features interviews with her colleagues, friends, fellow Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, former students and African American scholars, priests and bishops. The one-hour film, a part of the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission’s fall documentary season, will begin airing on ABC stations nationwide Oct. 2 (locally on WJLA Channel 7 at noon).
