SCRANTON -- A nun known for her tireless efforts when it came to helping the poor and less fortunate has died.
Sister Adrian Barrett died Monday morning in Scranton. She was 86.
People who were close with Sr. Adrian Barrett described her as an icon and a legend in the city of Scranton.
Sister Adrian, as she was casually called, impacted the lives of countless people during the almost 30 years she ran Friends of the Poor in Scranton.
People we talked with think she will leave behind a big legacy helping to shape our areas compassionate culture.
A t-shirt and a baseball cap, or handling reptiles in a park with dozens of kids might not be what immediately comes to mind when you think of a Catholic nun. But, maybe it's why Sister Adrian Barrett's nickname of "sister sneakers" stuck.
What the Friends of the Poor founder lacked in height, she made up for in compassion, kindness, and drive.
"She didn't wait for anybody to ask her, she just did it. And when she did it, she did it to help anybody. She didn't have a qualifier for who she was going to help," said Sr. Adrian's nephew Matt Barrett.
Matt Barrett is now the chair of the organization she founded, Friends of the Poor. It's headquartered within a public housing complex on Jackson Street in Scranton's west side.
Her humble organization tackled things others would shy away from like Thanksgiving dinner for almost 1,000 people held each year at the Scranton Cultural Center.
There were also countless contributions to enrich the lives of dozens of kids from low income families.
"Maybe the greatest contribution hasn't occurred yet. God knows who she helped and touched in some way that none of us even know. But, she was never looking for a reward. She was never looking for a thanks," Barrett said.
"She is the epitome of what it means to serve," said former Scranton Mayor Jimmy Connors.
Connors met Sister Adrian through her annual trips to Washington D.C. She would take dozens of kids to see the nation's capital just because she thought they should see it.
She leaves behind a legacy of little impacts in people's individual lives.
Many of her fellow Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were too upset to talk about Sister Adrian on camera, but they told us they found peace that she lived a full life. Her mission was simple and she left nothing incomplete.
This friend of the poor died rich. As she said at her retirement in 2009, she was the one who gained.
"I've seen quite a little bit along the way," Sr. Adrian said. "It was the love that they have given me, it was the inspiration that they shared with me, they have truly blessed my life."
Sister Adrian retired from her work with Friends of the Poor in 2009. The organization will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.
The organization continues many of the initiatives Sr. Adrian started.
Friends of the Poor is closed because of the Columbus Day holiday. We spoke with the current director, Sr. Ann Walsh, who said it's a very sad day for the organization and for the whole city of Scranton.
Sister Adrian's viewing will be held Wednesday at the IHM Center on Adams Avenue from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be shuttle buses running from downtown Scranton from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The buses will pick up on the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Linden Street across from St. Peter's Cathedral.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul's Church on Penn Avenue in Scranton's Green Ridge section.
