March 23, 2026

Contact Marlene De La Cruz-Guzmán at mdelacruzguzman@viterbo.edu or 608-796-3403

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Everyone is invited to enjoy a musical celebration of the life and legacy of Sr. Thea Bowman at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 28 in Viterbo University’s San Damiano Chapel.

The event will feature Viterbo alumnus and Broadway performer Arbender Robinson and special guests Dan Johnson-Wilmot, Sr. Georgia Christensen, FSPA, Dylan Woodman, Marlene De La Cruz-Guzmán, and the Viterbo Concert Choir conducted by Dr. Michael Sauer.

“The program honors various aspects of her life and legacy that still inspire us today,” said Marlene De La Cruz-Guzmán, Viterbo vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and the director of the university’s Sr. Thea Bowman Center. “We are celebrating the life of Sr. Thea through music because while she is known for her focus on social and racial justice, she also loved to sing and dance. We really hope folks in our community will come to this vibrant and joyful celebration of a great woman who remains an inspiration to so many.”

Blessed with extraordinary talent, Sr. Thea Bowman rose to national prominence as a speaker, master teacher, evangelist, and an African American catalyst. She graduated from Viterbo College in 1965 with a BA in English and was trained to become a teacher. She went on to attend The Catholic University of America and earned an MA in English in 1969 and a PhD in English in 1972. She taught at the middle school and high school levels, eventually becoming a college professor of English and linguistics at Viterbo College, Catholic University of America, and Xavier University in New Orleans. She passed away from breast cancer in 1990. Her tombstone holds the simple yet profound inscription, “She tried.” She is now a candidate for Sainthood.

This event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Sr. Thea Bowman Center at Viterbo University.

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