Thea Bowman was born on December 29, 1937, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and raised in Canton, Mississippi. At age nine, she converted to Catholicism and later joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in 1953, becoming the first African American member of her congregation. As a teacher, musician, and scholar, Sister Thea dedicated her life to promoting cultural awareness and inclusivity within the Catholic Church, emphasizing the richness of African American spirituality.

In 1989, despite battling cancer, Sister Thea addressed the U.S. Catholic bishops, urging them to embrace diversity and foster inclusivity within the Church. She passed away on March 30, 1990, in Canton, Mississippi. Her cause for canonization was officially opened on November 18, 2018, by Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, granting her the title "Servant of God."

During her address to the U.S. bishops, Sister Thea proclaimed, "What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I come to my Church fully functioning. I bring myself, my Black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become."