Our Sister Thea Bowman-Framed 329 Painting by William Hart McNichols

Our Sister Thea Bowman-Framed 329

by William Hart McNichols

Canvas Print

$85

Framed Print

$104

Art Print

$37

Poster

$37

Metal Print

$91

Acrylic Print

$99

Wood Print

$71

Tapestry

$103

Throw Pillow

$47

Duvet Cover

$160

Shower Curtain

$113

Ornament

$16

Tote Bag

$46

Greeting Card

$6.45

Spiral Notebook

$22

iPhone Case

$47

Coffee Mug

$20

Men's Clothing

$48

Women's Clothing

$48

Youth Clothing

$44

Toddler Clothing

$42

Baby Clothing

$46

Title

Our Sister Thea Bowman-Framed 329

Artist

William Hart McNichols

Medium

Painting - Acrylic On Wood

Description

Our Sister Thea Bowman * (29 December 1937 - 30 March 1990)
“I think that children carry a message just by the way they are, and it’s a message that needs to be heard ... My approach is : teach me. I will learn. I want to learn. I want to keep learning until I die. But I also want to teach. I want to accept your gifts. Please share your treasures with me, but I also want to share my treasures with you.”
The Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman

“Behold, a sacred voice is calling you; all over the sky a sacred voice is calling.”
The Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk

“If reality speaks and God can speak in it, especially when it cries out, then listening to it is a necessary way of realizing our humanity.”
Jon Sobrino, SJ

“Vocation is a gradual revelation - of me to myself by God ... It is who we are, trying to happen.”
Evelyn and James Whitehead

I was very honored when Fr Mark Bosco, SJ commissioned me to write/paint an icon of Thea, for a chapel at Georgetown University. My next very real, kinda worried thought, was actually, why did Thea pick me? How would I place a very vibrant, warm, extremely intelligent, rowdy (her own word about herself), literally glowing woman into an iconic form ? That question of mine really gets to the very purpose for having an icon rather than a photograph or painted portrait. I could give you many examples but let me just tell you one.
In 1998 a dear friend, Mimi Meriwether took me and another one of her friends to visit the most recent purported apparition site of the Mother of God, in Medjugorje, Bosnia, Herzegovina. I think it might have been the second night we were there when the Franciscan author and chaplain to the visionaries, Fr Svetozar Krajalic, drove up to the house where we were staying and asked me to write an icon of Our Lady of Medjugorje. I had read (and later got to hear from them personally) the visionaries’ description of Mary. It was like a lovely Croatian girl, I thought, and then they said... “She is about 17. She has long, black curly hair down to her waist. She has dark blue eyes and very rosy cheeks. She wears a grey dress and white veil. She is standing on a small cloud with twelve stars around her head.” My thoughts were really, how can I fit this beautiful living girl into an iconic form ? But Fr Svet insisted, so I went ahead and did a symbolic icon of her. This is exactly how I felt when Fr Mark commissioned me to make Thea into an iconic presence. I use the word presence on purpose, because an icon is supposed to give you the opportunity to pray with Thea as she is now, in Heaven. This is because a true icon is more real than a photograph or painting. I know this is a very strong claim to make, but this is my own experience. Also it is more challenging when a prototype or original of an icon does not yet exist; when you are called upon to create the prototype. An icon takes time to sit with, to converse with to get to know; the same time it may take to get to know and love a friend.
In 1995 I painted/wrote the icon of the Ukrainian Holy New Martyr Nestor Savchuk. In 1996 an Orthodox Church in Atlanta asked to purchase Nestor because he had been martyred in 1993, and the youth in that church had a great devotion to him. It was very hard to give him up, but I did because I had his photograph and I thought I’d frame it and he’d still be with me. After taking him to be shipped to Atlanta, I came back to my room at St Mary’s Hall In Boston College and, his “presence” was gone, even though I had his photo.
This is how I learned the very real presence and need for an icon.
I started by asking a woman I know from our parish here in Albuquerque, St Joseph on the Rio Grande, to pose for me, Louise Davis. She is also a member of the African American Catholic Community. Louise gave me many symbols to work with including the acacia tree, with the word Umoja, unity, written beneath the tree. This word means, “to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves...” you see this tree near the bottom of Thea’s dress. That tree is the symbol of the African American Catholic Community. Then I chose the Nsoromma star on her headdress, meaning “child of the heavens.” The Nsoromma ne Osrane, star and moon, a symbol of faithfulness. And finally the ladder, Owuo Atwedie, “all people shall climb the ladder of death.” Around her neck are leaves and berries signifying Thea’s abundant life affirming power; while she was here on earth and now as one of our intercessors . She also wears a red necklace of the Franciscan Tau Cross. I painted that cross red to honor that the Franciscans bear the charism of the 5 wounds, the stigmata; from Francis right up until the present with Padre Pio.
Above Thea is a brown Holy Spirit, signifying God is “all races.” This brown Spirit I first saw and copied in a 19th century icon of Mary called “Mother of God Your Lap Has Become the Holy Table.” In this Icon Mary, the Child and Holy Spirit are all deep brown. Rays of the Spirit surround Thea as she opens her arms in “Marian fashion” to receive all of us.
This icon was almost a year’s prayer, work and many spiritual meetings with those African Americans whom (since I was born in 1949) I have especially admired; Dr King and Coretta Scott King... whom I actually met at his tomb in Atlanta, and I will never forget our exchange; Malcom X, James Baldwin, Elijah McClain, and of course, Thea Bowman. I spent this past year with her.
Now, let us pray together, this prayer composed for the canonization of Thea :

“Ever loving God, who by Your infinite goodness inflamed the heart of Your servant and religious, Sister Thea Bowman with ardent love for You and the people of God, a love expressed through her indomitable spirit, deep and abiding faith, dedicated teaching, and unwavering witnessing of the joy of the Gospel.
Her prophetic witness continues to inspire us to share the Good News with those whom we encounter, most especially the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. May Sister Thea’s life and legacy compel us to walk together, and to remain together as missionary disciples ushering in the New Evangelization for the Church we love.
Gracious God imbue us with the grace and perseverance that You gave Your servant, Sister Thea. For in turbulent times of racial injustice, she brought wisdom, awareness, unity, and charity. In times of pain, sickness, and suffering, she taught us how to live fully until called Home to the land of promise. If it be Your Will, O God, glorify our beloved Sister Thea, by granting the favor I now request through her intercession (mention your request), so that all may know of her goodness and holiness and may imitate her love for You and Your Church. We ask this through Your Son and Our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen. “

Fr William Hart McNichols 🍁 September 2022

PS) I will be at Georgetown University this coming week to celebrate the arrival and installation of this icon . On 17 November, Fr Bosco, SJ and I will be doing a public discussion about the vocation of iconography.
🍁 November 2022 🍁