WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG October 2020
FLORIDA Catholic
MIAMI ARCHDIOCESE
FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF
MIAMI Six African American men and women who ministered in the U.S. are on the road to sainthood. Since November is Black Catholic History Month, here are brief biographies of each of these Black Catholics. Three of them have taken the first step toward sainthood by being declared a "servant of God" - which means the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has found enough evidence to open a case. The three others have reached the second step by being declared "venerable" - which means the pope has decided that the person has lived a life of "heroic virtue." The remaining steps - beatification and canonization - require proof of a miracle at each stage. Prayers to each of these candidates may be found on their websites, listed after their biographies. And check out the What the Faith, Miami podcast when it drops in Novem- ber at https://soundcloud.com/archdiocese- of-miami
SERVANT OF GOD SISTER THEA BOWMAN
Sister Thea (1937-1990) born in Canton, Mississippi, was a convert to Catholicism. At the age of 15, she moved to LaCrosse, Wis- consin, to join the Franciscan Sisters of Per- petual Adoration, where she became the only African-American member of the community. She taught at all grade levels, eventually earn- ing her doctorate and becoming a college pro- fessor of English and linguistics. She later be- came a highly acclaimed evangelizer, teacher, writer and singer, sharing the joy of the Gospel and her rich cultural heritage throughout the nation. See more at www.sistertheabowman. com/.
SERVANT OF GOD JULIA GREELEY
Greely (born between 1833-1848-died 1918) is known as Denver's Angel of Charity. She was born into slavery in Hannibal, Missouri, and entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver in 1880. Every month, she
6 Black Catholics are on the road to sainthood
LINDA REEVES
Florida Catholic correspondent
DAVIE "It takes a village to raise a child" is a saying that perfectly captures the heart of one Broward parish and school commu- nity, which recently added a coveted national award to its achievements just in time for the school's 25
th
anniversary. "It is a great accolade," said Father Edmond Prendergast, founding pastor of St. Bonaven- ture Parish and School. "I give all the credit to the students, teachers and administration. It's the students who earned the grades." St. Bonaventure School in Davie has been named a 2020 National Blue Ribbon of Excel- lence winner by the U.S. Department of Edu- cation. The news came Sept. 24, 2020, during a U.S. Department of Education press confer- ence when winners were announced, and educators were given a pat on the back for a job well done. "Congratulations to this year's National Blue Ribbon School awardees," said Betsy DeVos, U. S. Department of Education Secre- tary. "It's a privilege to recognize the extraor- dinary work you do to meet students' needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives." Schools compete for the award in one of
St. Bonaventure in Davie 'earns the grade'
TWO HONORED AS BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS
Posing near a statue of Jesus and the children on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle School in Miami, from left: Father Alejandro Rodriguez Artola, pastor; special education teacher Nichole Aranguren Garcia; principal Lisa Figueredo; and vice principal Angie Ayan-Novo. Jennifer Sardina teaches the second graders sitting before her in class as well as students learning at home online. St. Bonaventure School opened its campus at the end of September and welcomed students back to the classrooms. Some are still participating in virtual classes due to the pandemic. (LINDA REEVES FC) PRISCILLA GREEAR
Florida Catholic correspondent
MIAMI As Lisa Figueredo became principal of her alma mater, St. Thomas the Apostle School, in 2005, she encountered an old folder with their application to become a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. While round one didn't take them all the way, Figueredo set a new goal for round two as part of her vision for proactive growth and achievement. "When you're in college studying educa- tion and you hear of National Blue Ribbon recognizing school excellence, I knew that was something I wanted," said Figueredo. Forty years after entering kindergarten at St. Thomas, and 24 years after joining as a teacher, Figueredo received the coveted email in June that the school was among the 2020 award recipients - but had to keep it quiet through summer. "The email was not in so many words because they try to reserve it for the secre- tary (of the U.S. Department of Education). We were like 'it looks like we got it!'" she re- called. "We screamed. We did a big group call." So amid coronavirus sanitation, remote learning adaptations and general 2020 cha- os, the St. Thomas community received the best back-to-school announcement Sept.
St. Thomas the Apostle School: 'Solid, blessed'
Check out their inspiring biographies as Church marks Black Catholic History Month in November
PLEASE SEE SAINTS, 3 PLEASE SEE BONAVENTURE, 11 PLEASE SEE THOMAS, 11
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