An Inspirational Visit with Sister Adrian Hofstetter O.P.

Left to right Rosemarie Smead, Mary Sue Barnett, Barbara, Sister Adrian Hofstetter

South of Louisville, KY about 60 miles is an area called "The Kentucky Holy Land", because there are 3 mother houses of religious women, and the Trappists at Gethsemane, all pretty close together. Since the early 1800's when Bishop Flaget of the Bardstown Diocese requested women to come to the area to teach and nurse the nearly all catholic population, the religious life has flourished in this area. In Louisville itself we have the Ursuline Motherhouse, as well as many schools and universities dedicated to Catholic education spun off from these sisters.

In Loretto, KY is the home of the Srs. of Loretto, founded by Catherine Spalding. A few miles down the road is the home of the Srs. of Charity of Nazareth. Then a few more miles and you come to Nerinx, KY where the Dominican Sisters of Peace are located and have St. Catherine's College, with about 3500 students still there. Mary Sue Barnett was employed at St. Catherine for 3 years as their pastoral minister, until the did away with the position last September.

A few yeas ago, about 2008, 8 groups of Dominicans from other places merged with the Dominicans at St. Catherine's to form the Dominican Sisters of Peace. After my ordination I received an email from "Sr. Adrian Hofstetter, O.P." who is currently residing in the nursing home at the Mother House of the Dominicans. She was interested in talking about ARCWP and about the journey toward ordination. After I met Mary Sue, I told her that Adrian, one of the Dominican Sisters from St. Catherine's had been corresponding with me. Mary Sue knew Adrian and we planned to go visit her as time would allow. Since Adrian is 94, we decided to get it accomplished, and went down to visit her last Friday the 12th.

 

Adrian, as she prefers to be called, was at the front door of the nursing home waiting to greet us! Mary Sue's mother, Barbara, went with us as well. We went to lunch, and several other of the sisters there came over and introduced themselves, as well as Adrian's 90 year old sister, who had been President of the College there for years.

Adrian brought us all several books! She had written her first one at age 83, having not been permitted to have it published until then. She is now working on her 2nd book. Her first on the topic of biodynamics is entitled: Earth-Friendly: Re-Visioning Science and Spirituality through Aristotle, Thomas Acquinas, and Rudolf Steiner. Adrian is a scientist herself, a biology philosopher, and has spent a lifetime teaching in search of a holistic, organismic, living science respectful of the sacredness of nature and the ubiquity of the spirit. Here is what Joan Chittister says of Adrian on the back book cover:

"Sr. Adrian Hofstetter, Dominican to the core, is a seeker of truth. Her renaissance book, EARTH FRIENDLY, builds a bridge between science and religion in a way that strengthens both. It calls scientists to a renewed regard for mystery, It calls the rest of us to new respect for the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of the ages. This book lifts the scientific beyond the technical, and stretches the rest of us to think of both life and spirit, the spiritual and the material, in new and integrated ways. It is exactly what we need in this fragmented society where we know more and more about less and less and seldom understand life as a whole." Joan D. Chittister, OSB

We spent 3 hours with Adrian, under her spell really. Although she has to get around on a walker, her mind is bright and sharp, she doesn't miss a thing. I shall conclude with some pics from last Friday.  Rosemarie Smead, ARCWP