Biography

Darcel B. Whitten-Wilamowski, Founder & Director

Alexander J. Wilamowski, Asst. Director & Accompanist

The mission of the Sr. Thea Bowman DRVC Gospel Choir is to continue Sr. Thea Bowman’s ministry of bringing the Gospel message through African cultural avenues to ALL communities.  We are dedicated to the spiritual power and unified aliveness of  Praise and Worship.  We have been called forth to lead our brothers and sisters toward Christ using the universal language of music.  We continue evolving to deliver the vibrant, exciting and unique approach to religious music that has become our signature. 

Sr. Thea’s Choir made its debut in 1986 at Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston and spent the next nine years known as “Sounds in the Spirit of Praise” Brooklyn Diocesan Gospel Choir under the Brooklyn Office of Black Ministry. In 1995 in order to freely evangelize, the Choir name changed to the Sr. Thea Bowman Mass Choir and became non profit. In 1997, we were asked to sing for the Sixteenth Anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving for the Ministry to Catholics of African Ancestry in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.  Within the year, the invitation was extended by the Ministry to Catholics of African Ancestry’s Director, Vanessa Baird Streeter, for us to make the Diocese of Rockville Centre our home.

Since joining the Diocese of Rockville Center, Sr. Thea’s Choir has spent the past nine years spreading the “Good News” to parishes throughout Nassau, Suffolk and beyond.  Some of our highlights include:

• Ministering to the Nigerian Community at St. John the Divine in Manhattan.
• Invited to sing for a Pontifical Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the inauguration of the U.S. National Chapter of the Blessed Tansi Solidarity Prayer Movement, His Eminence, Frances Cardinal Arinze and His Eminence, John Cardinal O’Connor concelebrants.
• Concert given at Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica in Newark for Black History Month.
  Participated in “Jesus Alive 2000.”
• Ministered with the Diocesan Choir for The Friends of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception Concert in 2001.
• Performed for the Award Ceremony in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen at Republic Airport.
• For the past nine years, Sr. Thea’s Choir has been responsible for singing for the Ministry to Catholics of African Ancestry Masses of Thanksgiving.  We have sung revivals and concerts of evangelization for many of our parishes.  We have also walked the ecumenical line by reaching out and ministering at churches of other Christian denominations.
• For the past two seasons of Telecare, we have been featured on  “Total Praise” a show of evangelization that highlights Catholics of African Ancestry.  For more information, please visit the Telecare Website.

In the spirit of New Evangelization, we will continue to answer the call to win souls for the kingdom of God.  Expanding our membership and workshop ability, we will forge ahead inviting ALL to join us as we KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON.

Prepared by:
Darcel B. Whitten-Wilamowski, Founder & Director