Faithful from Archdiocese of Mobile celebrate dedication of Sr. Thea Bowman statue in Mississippi

By Mary Woodward
For The Catholic Week
(Images courtesy of Joanna King/Mississippi Catholic)
JACKSON, MISS – What began as a seed planted in 2007, became a reality in 2024. Catholics from several dioceses descended upon the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle in Jackson on Dec. 21 to celebrate the installation and blessing of a life-size bronze statue of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA. Among those attending the celebration were Mary Ott Tremmel Davidson, the sculptor, and parishioners from several parishes in the Montgomery and Mobile areas. 
 
Led by Rev. Victor Ingalls, director of multicultural ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile and Rev. Manuel Williams, CR, director of Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South in Montgomery, two buses arrived in Jackson with more than 50 pilgrims to mark the occasion honoring Sr. Thea on her path to beatification and canonization. 
The festivities included Mass, followed by the blessing of the statue located on the cathedral grounds and then a reception at the Two Mississippi Museums.
 
In his homily at the Mass, Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, remarked that as Pope Francis prepares to open the Jubilee Year of Hope, today’s celebration was also filled with hope. All present had come to honor Sr. Thea who was a beacon of light and hope in her time and who continues to inspire and challenge us to bring that light and hope to a world so in need of it.
 
Students from Sr. Thea Bowman School in Jackson delighted the congregation when they sang “This Little Light of Mine” as the hymn of praise after Communion. Following this, the congregation processed out of the Cathedral to the statue where Bishop Kopacz blessed it with prayer and holy water. 
 
Sr. Thea is one of six African-American Catholics currently on this path and many present at the celebration had known her prior to her death in 1990. Bishop Kopacz officially opened Sr. Thea’s cause in November 2018. 
 
The canonical process is in the middle of the diocesan phase which involves gathering her writings, interviewing witnesses and compiling a historical and theological report on her virtues and piety. This detailed process is expected to be completed by the end of this year and then will be sent to the Holy See for further examination.
 
The idea for the statue first came to Mary Davidson’s mind in 2007 when she was in Camden, Miss. for the dedication of a large altar crucifix she had designed for Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A parishioner remarked to Davidson that she hoped she would create a statue of Sr. Thea Bowman.
When she heard about Sr. Thea’s cause, Davidson contacted the diocese in the late summer of 2022, offering to sculpt the Servant of God if the diocese would cover the cost of materials and the foundry. 
 
Davidson enlisted the support of her former eighth-grade student at Our Lady of Lourdes in New Orleans, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, who offered a generous donation to the project. Soon Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi and Bishop Stephen Raica of Birmingham committed funds to help complete the statue. These donations together with proceeds from the estate of Bishop Joseph Latino, Bishop Kopacz’s predecessor, made the statue a reality and a gift from the bishops of Alabama and Mississippi. 
 
Bishop Kopacz commissioned Davidson to create the statue in March 2023. Over the next year, Davidson worked on the design. During that time, she lost her husband, Kenneth, in August. Working on the project helped Davidson through some of her grief.  
 
Davidson completed the clay mold for the statue in October 2023, from which a second mold was made by Inferno Art Foundry in Atlanta. The life-size creation was completed in early spring of 2024. 
 
Developing an appropriate space and pedestal for the statue on the cathedral grounds in Jackson took several months. Sr. Thea in bronze arrived on Dec. 12.
 
Nine days later, the cathedral was filled with the spirit of Sr. Thea as hymns from the “Lead Me, Guide Me” hymnal rang out—a hymnal she helped develop for African-American Catholics. Voices young and old gave witness to her inspiration as a true servant of God.
 
“We are grateful to all those who have assisted in this wonderful project, especially Mrs. Davidson, who despite her personal tragedy has created an amazing work of art to honor the legacy and spirit of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman,” Bishop Kopacz said. “Many have come together to contribute to making this statue a reality and today’s beautiful liturgy and dedication of this work of art are a testament to Sr. Thea’s ministry in the church and the world,” he concluded.