SisterJose Hobday is an acclaimed international speaker, author and social activist. Born to a full-blooded Seneca-Iroquois mother, who converted to Catholicism, and a half-Seminole father, who was raised by his strict Southern Baptist father, Sr. Jose grew in a richness of cultural and religious traditions.  Her childhood rearing was steeped in the tradition of story telling, which has made her an eloquent narrator of her life experiences.  She relates her relationship with family, community, God and all of creation with passion and humor.

Sister Jose is a Seneca elder and a sister of the Order of St. Francis.  Although she has post-graduated degrees, she refers to herself as a student of life and a missionary-at-large.  She taught indigenous studies at Boston College and UCLA and was a member of the faculty of the University of Creation Spirituality from its inception.  She has worked closely with many Native American communities, and now lives with the Yakima community in Tucson.  Howard Zinn, Caesar Chavez and the Dalai Lama are among the many people with whom she has worked and spoken.

Among the many stories she joyfully relates is her claim to be the only woman who has kissed both the Dalai Lama and Richard Gere on the same day.  The wisdom reflected in her stories flows from her deep connection with her native wisdom mixed with her mystical understanding of her catholic faith.  She is the physical embodiment of what Matt Fox describes as deep ecumenism.

Typical of her wisdom, is her answer to the question, "What is your inner work?"  "BE STILL."   Or perhaps when she posits the question, "What are you passionate about?" Her blessing to help you find and live the passion is, "I pray God puts a burr in your saddle."

contributed by Tom Stempel, MD