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Thea Fest 2000 to Celebrate Sister Thea Bowman Tenth Anniversary

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- January, 2000 -- The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and Viterbo College will sponsor Thea Fest 2000 on Sunday, March 26, commemorating the tenth anniversary on March 30 of Sister Thea Bowman's entrance into eternal life.

"We'll do all the wonderful, soulful things Thea loved," said Sister Charlene Smith, chair of the planning committee.

Joining in the celebration will be the children's chorus from Holy Child Jesus School in Canton, Miss.; former members of the Hallelujah Singers, the group which Sister Thea started while at Viterbo; Nola Jo Starling-Ratliff, a student of Sister Thea at Holy Child Jesus School and Viterbo College and currently a member of the Viterbo Board; Rev. Joe Dyer of Oxford, Miss., a friend of Sister Thea; and others.

The event will open with a 10 a.m. Eucharistic liturgy in Maria Angelorum Chapel. Father Dyer will preside and present the homily. Viterbo choirs will join with the Canton choirs and the Hallelujah Singers in leading the singing.

A "soul food brunch" will be served at 11:30 in the Marian Hall dining room at Viterbo.

At 2 p.m., Viterbo and guest vocal groups, under the direction of Dan Johnson, will highlight a gathering in the Fine Arts Center. Interspersed with the African-American spirituals will be friends of Thea sharing their memories of her, among them Sister Celestine Cepress and Starling-Ratliff. Viterbo religious studies chair, Tom Thibodeau, will serve as emcee.

Other members of the committee are Sally Emerson, Sister Maria Friedman, Dan Johnson, Earl Madary, Tom Thibodeau and Shelly Lamb-Vosen.

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