St. Anthony Parish in Tigard is co-hosting a dramatic presentation highlighting the wisdom of Sister Thea Bowman, the granddaughter of slaves and a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration who is being investigated for sainthood. The virtual event, Monday, Feb. 22, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., will center on Sister Thea’s life and work and how they apply to today’s need for racial reconciliation, said Danny Rauda, social justice coordinator at the parish.

Spanish language interpretation will be available for the Zoom-based event, co-hosted by the Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good.

“The Joy of Justice, Unity, and Peace: Lessons from Sister Thea Bowman” features ValLimar Jansen, an Oregon Catholic Press singer, composer and recording artist who leads worship and prayer workshops across the United States.

“It seems like as a nation and society we have all but forgotten about the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests that happened last summer,” said Rauda, who helped organize the presentation. “Unfortunately, this is just another instance of a recurring pattern in our country we can’t seem to escape: An unarmed black person dies at the hands of police, people hit the streets in outrage, the media covers the protests for a few weeks, promises are made for change, another event captures the national attention, and the topic of race in America fades.”

Rauda believes the path forward must include ongoing education and compassionate dialogue. “There is no better time to have such dialogue than during Lent and Black History Month,” he said.



Learn more

To register and for additional information, go to bit.ly/sisterthea.