“I Will Live Until I Die” A Musical  of the Life of Sr. Thea Bowman

Starring playwright ValLimar Jansen and local actors

March 1 & 2, 2024

St. Patrick Church, Seattle

I would like to introduce you to Sr. Thea Bowman! Sr. Thea was an amazingly dynamic Black Catholic nun who is now on her journey to sainthood.

In the play, we follow Thea’s journey from Canton, Mississippi, to the all-white community of La Crosse, Wisconsin,  where she became a nun and eventually a world-renowned pioneer of intercultural awareness, unity and acceptance.

ValLimar plays Sr. Thea, and the musical includes 14 beloved Spirituals, four classic Gregorian Chants, with a talented cast bringing to life the story of Sr. Thea.

Birthing the Holy: Dancing with Mary and the Sacred Feminine is released!

Our newest prayer-dance-video resource is a collection of 12 prayer dances plus teaching videos created by Betsey Beckman that accompany the  Birthing the Holy album and prayer cycle.These resources companion Christine Valters Paintner’s book Birthing the Holy: Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred FeminineDances in this collection celebrate many faces of Mary including: Queen of Angels, Untier of Knots, Mustafia, Star of the Sea, Vessel of Grace, Our Lady of Silence, Our Lady of the Underworld, Mother of Sorrows, Greenest Branch, Theotokos, Mystical Rose, and Madonna Protectress. Filmed at sacred spaces in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, Oregon Coast, Michigan, Texas, and Uganda.

The Love of Thousands: Singing with Angels, Saints, and Ancestors is released!

Our newest album accompanies Christine Valters Paintner’s book The Love of Thousands: How Angels, Saints, and Ancestors Walk with Us Toward Holiness published by Ave Maria Press, 2023 and Love of Thousands prayer cycle. Songs on this album celebrate the presence of angels, call on the wisdom of saints Julian of Norwich, Clare of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Mechtild of Magdeburg, and Angela of Foligno, and honor the gifts of our wise and well ancestors.

SpiritPlay Class in Seattle!

SpiritPlay has become a staple of Seattle’s InterPlay offerings! Now in our 23rd year, we have developed a wonderful community of faith and foolishness. This monthly LIVE series is for those grounded in Christianity who so long for the spontaneity of InterPlay to help us navigate the wild and whacky, sometimes rocky, humble and holy journey of our lives. We’ll be diving into the lectionary, exploring sacred stories, dancing through the cycle of seasons, singing our souls and improvising in prayer.  Calling all angels – let’s dance, play and pray!

8 Sessions meeting the second Tuesday (mostly) of every month – 9:30 – 11:45 am.
Begins October 10th!

Testimonials

  • I just love Betsey’s music and dance. It’s a way of freeing the body with music and movement and getting closer to God. Thank you Betsey and colleagues — the videography was very well done.

    Marie Gibson

  • “During the workshop, Betsey told the story of the Creation using her whole body. When she got to the part about God blowing the breath of life into humanity, she used her whole body to blow the ‘breath of life’ into us. A radically new awareness broke through for me in that moment: I began …

    Sharie Bowman