Homeless Man Walks Into Church – What the Priest Did Next Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
In a world where appearances often dictate how we treat others, one priest’s extraordinary act of compassion reminded an entire congregation about the true meaning of Christian love. This powerful story of judgment, redemption, and unexpected grace will challenge everything you think you know about faith and humanity.
A Peaceful Sunday Morning Interrupted
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in downtown Portland had always prided itself on being a welcoming community. The gothic stone building, with its soaring arches and stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Christ, had served the neighborhood for over a century, providing spiritual guidance and comfort to generations of faithful parishioners.
On this particular Sunday morning in late October, the sanctuary was filled with its usual congregation of about two hundred worshippers. The autumn light filtered through the colored glass, casting rainbow patterns across the polished wooden pews where families sat in their Sunday best, some having attended this very church for decades.
Father Michael O’Brien, a soft-spoken man in his mid-fifties with graying temples and kind eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses, was midway through his sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan. His voice carried easily through the sanctuary’s excellent acoustics as he spoke about compassion for strangers and the importance of seeing Christ in every person we encounter.
The congregation listened attentively, many nodding in agreement with the familiar message of love and acceptance that had been central to Father O’Brien’s ministry for the past fifteen years. Children sat quietly beside their parents, some coloring in religious activity books, while elderly parishioners followed along in their well-worn prayer books.
The peaceful atmosphere was one of reverence and community, the kind of sacred space where people came to find solace from the chaos of daily life and to connect with something greater than themselves. But that tranquility was about to be shattered by an unexpected visitor who would challenge everyone’s understanding of what it truly means to live out their faith.
An Unexpected Arrival
The heavy oak doors at the back of the church creaked open with a sound that seemed to echo through the entire sanctuary, causing several heads to turn toward the entrance. What they saw there would become burned into their memories for years to come.
A man stood silhouetted in the doorway, backlit by the morning sun streaming through the entrance. As eyes adjusted and details became clear, the congregation began to see someone who looked nothing like their usual Sunday visitors.
The stranger appeared to be in his sixties, with long, unkempt gray hair that looked as though it hadn’t been washed or combed in weeks. His weathered face bore the deep lines and hollow cheeks of someone who had faced years of hardship on the streets. His clothes told a story of desperate poverty – a torn jacket that might once have been blue, stained pants with holes at the knees, and a shirt so dirty its original color was impossible to determine.
Most shocking of all, the man was barefoot. His feet, blackened with dirt and showing signs of injury and neglect, left dark prints on the church’s pristine carpet as he hesitated in the doorway, clearly aware that he was out of place in this sanctuary of well-dressed, well-fed people.
The unmistakable odor of someone who had been living rough – a mixture of unwashed clothes, sweat, and the general mustiness of someone without access to basic hygiene facilities – began to drift through the back rows of the church, causing an immediate and visible reaction from the congregation.
The Congregation’s Harsh Judgment
The reaction to the homeless man’s entrance was swift and unmistakably hostile. What happened next would serve as a stark reminder of how quickly human beings can forget their stated values when confronted with uncomfortable realities.
Mrs. Eleanor Hartwell, a prominent member of the church board who had been attending St. Matthew’s for over forty years, was among the first to react. She instinctively reached for her purse and pulled it closer to her body, while covering her nose with a lace handkerchief and shooting disapproving glances at her husband.
Robert Thompson, a successful businessman who served on the church’s finance committee, leaned over to whisper urgently to his wife, “Someone should do something about this. This is completely inappropriate.” His voice, though low, carried in the acoustically sensitive sanctuary, causing others nearby to nod in agreement.
The Children’s Minister, Mrs. Sandra Clark, subtly gathered several young families around her and began ushering them toward seats farther from the entrance, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of children being exposed to what she perceived as a threatening presence.
Margaret Foster, known throughout the congregation for her charitable work and volunteer efforts, found herself struggling with conflicting emotions. While her rational mind told her that this was exactly the kind of person Jesus had called them to serve, her immediate physical revulsion to the man’s appearance and smell created an internal conflict that left her frozen in her pew.
Throughout the sanctuary, similar scenes played out as congregation members exchanged meaningful looks, covered their noses, and shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Some openly stared at the intruder with expressions ranging from disgust to fear, while others pointedly looked away, hoping that someone else would handle the uncomfortable situation.
Silent Prayers and Loud Whispers
Unaware or perhaps all too aware of the hostile reception he was receiving, the homeless man made his way slowly down the center aisle. His movements were deliberate and respectful, clearly indicating that he understood the sacred nature of the space he was entering despite his rough appearance.
Rather than attempting to find a seat in one of the pews, which would have required him to sit directly next to other worshippers, the man chose instead to kneel on the cold stone floor near the back of the sanctuary. His action showed a level of sensitivity and humility that few in the congregation seemed to notice or appreciate.
As he knelt, the man clasped his weathered hands together and began to pray silently, his lips moving in what appeared to be a deeply personal conversation with God. His posture was reverent, his eyes closed in concentration, and despite his disheveled appearance, there was something unmistakably sincere about his devotion.
But the congregation’s discomfort only intensified with his continued presence. The whispers that had begun as shocked murmurs grew bolder and more critical as people felt emboldened by the shared disapproval they saw around them.
“What is someone like that doing here?” whispered Janet Mitchell to her longtime friend Caroline Adams. “This is supposed to be a place of worship, not a homeless shelter.”
Dr. Richard Stevens, a respected physician in the community, found himself wondering aloud to his wife about potential health risks. “We don’t know what kinds of diseases someone living on the streets might be carrying,” he said, unconsciously moving away from the kneeling figure.
The hostile atmosphere grew so thick that several congregation members actually stood up and left the service entirely, shaking their heads in disgust as they filed out past the praying man who remained oblivious to their departure.
A Moment of Truth for Father O’Brien
Father Michael O’Brien had been preaching for long enough to recognize when his congregation was distracted, but the level of agitation and hostility he sensed that morning was unlike anything he had experienced in his fifteen years at St. Matthew’s.
From his position at the pulpit, Father O’Brien had a clear view of both the homeless man kneeling in prayer and the reactions of his parishioners. What he witnessed filled him with a mixture of heartbreak and determination that would define not only the rest of that service, but his entire ministry going forward.
Here was a man who had somehow found the courage to enter a place where he clearly knew he wasn’t welcome, seeking whatever comfort and connection with the divine he might find. And here was a congregation that called themselves followers of Christ responding with exactly the kind of judgment and rejection that Jesus himself had consistently spoken against.
Father O’Brien realized that this moment represented more than just an uncomfortable interruption to their Sunday service. This was a test of everything they claimed to believe, a living demonstration of whether their faith was merely a comfortable social convention or a genuine commitment to love without condition.
The priest’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped the edges of the pulpit, feeling the weight of the decision before him. He could handle this situation quietly, perhaps approaching the man privately after the service and suggesting he might be more comfortable elsewhere. It would restore peace to the sanctuary and allow the service to continue without further disruption.
Or he could use this moment to teach the most important lesson of his entire ministry, regardless of the consequences for his own comfort or popularity with the congregation.
An Act of Unprecedented Courage
Father Michael O’Brien closed his Bible with a decisive snap that echoed through the silent sanctuary. The sound seemed to focus every person’s attention on him as he stepped down from the pulpit and began walking toward the back of the church where the homeless man continued to kneel in prayer.
The congregation watched in stunned silence, many assuming that their priest was finally going to handle the uncomfortable situation by asking the intruder to leave. Some nodded approvingly, while others held their breath, sensing that something significant was about to happen.
As Father O’Brien approached the kneeling figure, his own heart was pounding with a mixture of nervousness and conviction. He had spent years preaching about compassion and acceptance, but now he was being called to demonstrate those values in the most public and challenging way possible.
When he reached the homeless man, Father O’Brien did something that no one in the congregation expected. Instead of asking him to leave or even speaking to him quietly, the priest gently placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and spoke in a voice that carried clearly throughout the entire sanctuary.
“Brother,” he said, his voice filled with warmth and genuine welcome, “God has sent you here today to remind us who we truly are and to give us a chance to reach out rather than turn away.”
The words hung in the air like a challenge, and Father O’Brien could feel the shock rippling through the congregation. But he wasn’t finished. What he did next would be talked about in their community for years to come.
Without hesitation, Father O’Brien bent down and began removing his own shoes – polished black leather dress shoes that he had worn to deliver countless sermons about Christian love and charity. He placed them gently beside the homeless man and spoke again.
A Sermon in Action
“Take these,” Father O’Brien said, his voice now carrying the authority of a man who was speaking from the deepest convictions of his heart. “And please, pray with us. Today we will pray for your soul, for your pain, and for the difficult road that has brought you to us.”
He paused, looking out at his congregation with eyes that seemed to see into each person’s soul. “But we will also pray for the sins of those who judge others by what they see on the surface and forget that every human being is a beloved child of God.”
The impact of Father O’Brien’s words was immediate and devastating. Throughout the sanctuary, people began to understand that this wasn’t just a gesture of charity toward a stranger – it was a mirror being held up to their own hearts, reflecting back the ugliness of their judgment and prejudice.
Mrs. Hartwell, who had been so quick to clutch her purse and cover her nose, felt tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as she realized how far her behavior had strayed from the Christian love she claimed to embrace. The lace handkerchief she had used to block out the homeless man’s scent now served to wipe away tears of shame.
Robert Thompson, the successful businessman who had been so concerned about appropriateness, found himself thinking about all the times he had passed homeless individuals on the street without a second thought, more concerned about his own comfort than their suffering.
Throughout the sanctuary, similar realizations were dawning on people who had spent years listening to sermons about love and compassion but had never been challenged to live those values when it was truly difficult or uncomfortable.
The Power of Witnessed Vulnerability
As Father O’Brien stood barefoot beside the homeless man, his own vulnerability became a powerful teaching tool that no sermon could have matched. Here was their respected spiritual leader, a man they looked up to for guidance and wisdom, making himself physically equal to someone they had viewed as beneath their notice.
The homeless man, whose name they would later learn was James Patterson, looked up at Father O’Brien with eyes that reflected a lifetime of rejection and sudden, overwhelming gratitude. For perhaps the first time in years, someone had not only acknowledged his humanity but had demonstrated it through action rather than just words.
James accepted the shoes with shaking hands, his voice barely a whisper as he said, “Thank you, Father. I… I just needed to pray somewhere safe for a while.” His words revealed that he hadn’t come to the church to disrupt or to ask for money – he had simply sought the same spiritual comfort that everyone else in that sanctuary was looking for.
Father O’Brien helped James to his feet and guided him to an empty pew near the front of the church, making it clear that he was not just being tolerated but was genuinely welcome as a full participant in their worship service. The priest’s actions spoke louder than any words about the inclusive nature of God’s love.
As they walked together down the aisle, Father O’Brien in his stocking feet and James wearing the priest’s polished shoes, the visual representation of their shared humanity was impossible for anyone in the congregation to ignore. Social barriers that had seemed so important minutes earlier were revealed to be artificial constructs that had no place in a house of worship.
A Congregation Transformed
The remainder of that Sunday service became one of the most profound worship experiences in the history of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. What began as an uncomfortable disruption had transformed into a living demonstration of the gospel message that many had heard hundreds of times but never truly understood.
Father O’Brien’s impromptu sermon that followed was delivered not from the pulpit but from his heart, as he spoke about the parable of the sheep and goats from Matthew 25, where Jesus teaches that how we treat “the least of these” is how we treat Christ himself.
“When you see someone who is hungry, thirsty, naked, or homeless,” Father O’Brien said, his voice carrying new weight after his demonstration of those words, “you are not seeing a problem to be solved or removed. You are seeing an opportunity to serve Christ himself.”
Throughout the sanctuary, people were engaging in the kind of self-examination that true spiritual growth requires. Margaret Foster, the volunteer coordinator, began thinking about how the church’s charitable efforts had always been conducted at a safe distance – writing checks and organizing food drives rather than actually sitting with and learning from those they claimed to serve.
Dr. Stevens found himself reconsidering his medical oath to “first, do no harm” and realizing how his immediate assumptions about James had violated that principle on a fundamental human level. The man he had worried might be carrying diseases was simply a fellow human being seeking the same spiritual healing they all needed.
Young families who had been uncomfortable with their children’s exposure to homelessness began to understand that this was exactly the kind of real-world demonstration of Christian values their children needed to witness.
James’s Story Unfolds
As the service continued, James Patterson found himself surrounded by a warmth and acceptance he hadn’t experienced in years. When Father O’Brien invited him to share his story during the prayer request portion of the service, James spoke with quiet dignity about his journey to homelessness.
He had been a construction worker for most of his adult life, James explained, supporting a wife and two children until a serious back injury made physical labor impossible. Without adequate health insurance, medical bills had consumed their savings, leading to the loss of their home and eventually the breakdown of his marriage.
“I’ve been on the streets for three years now,” James said, his voice steady despite the obvious pain in sharing his story. “Some days the loneliness is harder to bear than the hunger or the cold. I came here today because I needed to remember that I’m still a child of God, even when the world treats me like I’m invisible.”
His words hit the congregation like a physical blow, as people realized that their initial reaction had been to make him feel exactly that kind of invisibility and rejection. The man they had wanted to remove from their presence was revealing himself to be articulate, thoughtful, and possessed of a faith that had sustained him through unimaginable hardship.
Mrs. Clark, the Children’s Minister who had initially moved families away from James, found herself thinking about how his story could teach children more about resilience and faith than any Sunday school lesson she had ever prepared.
As James spoke, it became clear that his appearance, while shocking to their middle-class sensibilities, was simply the result of circumstances beyond his control rather than any moral failing or character weakness. The judgments they had made based on his clothing and smell were revealed to be not only unkind but completely inaccurate.
Immediate Acts of Redemption
The transformation in the congregation’s attitude toward James was remarkable in its speed and sincerity. As the service concluded, people who had earlier recoiled from his presence began approaching him with offers of help, apologies, and genuine interest in his wellbeing.
Mrs. Hartwell, whose initial reaction had been so negative, was among the first to approach James after the service. With tears in her eyes, she apologized for her behavior and offered to help him find temporary housing through a church program she had previously supported only financially.
Robert Thompson, the businessman who had been so concerned about appropriateness, found himself offering James a job doing light maintenance work at his office building – work that wouldn’t aggravate his back injury but would provide steady income and a path toward independence.
Dr. Stevens approached with an offer to provide free medical care, realizing that his initial concerns about disease had been projection of his own fears rather than any real health threat. He began to understand that James probably needed medical attention far more than he posed any risk to others.
The Children’s Minister, Mrs. Clark, invited James to share his story with the youth group, recognizing that his experience could teach young people valuable lessons about empathy, resilience, and the dangers of judging others based on appearances.
Most importantly, Father O’Brien invited James to become a regular part of their congregation, not as a charity case but as a valued member of their community whose life experiences could enrich their understanding of faith and service.
The Ripple Effects of Compassion
The events of that Sunday morning created ripple effects that extended far beyond the walls of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. Word of Father O’Brien’s courageous demonstration of Christian love spread throughout the community, inspiring conversations about homelessness, judgment, and the true meaning of religious faith.
Local news outlets picked up the story, not as a feel-good human interest piece, but as a serious examination of how religious communities can either perpetuate social problems through exclusion or become part of the solution through radical inclusion.
Other churches in the area began examining their own practices and attitudes toward homeless individuals and other marginalized populations. Several started regular programs specifically designed to welcome people experiencing homelessness, not just as recipients of charity but as full participants in worship and community life.
The story resonated particularly strongly with social workers and homeless advocates who had long struggled to convince housed populations that people experiencing homelessness are deserving of dignity and respect rather than just pity or fear.
Academic researchers studying homelessness and social exclusion found in Father O’Brien’s actions a powerful example of how individual leadership can create immediate and lasting change in community attitudes and behaviors.
Most significantly, the story inspired other religious leaders to examine whether their own ministries were truly inclusive or were inadvertently perpetuating the very social divisions that their faith traditions called them to heal.
James’s Journey to Stability
With the support network that emerged from that transformative Sunday service, James Patterson began the slow but steady journey back to housing stability and community integration. The job offer from Robert Thompson provided him with steady income, while Mrs. Hartwell’s housing assistance helped him secure a small apartment within walking distance of the church.
Dr. Stevens’ medical care addressed several chronic health issues that had made James’s life on the streets even more difficult, including treatment for his back injury and management of diabetes that had gone undiagnosed for years due to lack of access to healthcare.
Perhaps most importantly, James’s integration into the St. Matthew’s community provided him with the social connections and emotional support that are essential for overcoming the trauma and isolation of homelessness. He began attending services regularly, participating in Bible study groups, and eventually volunteering with the church’s outreach programs.
His unique perspective as someone who had experienced homelessness made James an invaluable advocate and educator, helping other congregation members understand the complex factors that contribute to housing instability and the barriers that people face in trying to escape it.
Within six months, James had become one of the most respected and beloved members of the St. Matthew’s community, serving as a living reminder of what becomes possible when people are treated with dignity and given genuine opportunities to contribute their gifts and talents.
His transformation was not just from homelessness to housing, but from isolation to community, from despair to hope, and from being seen as a problem to being recognized as a valuable human being with much to offer.
Lessons in Authentic Christianity
The events of that October Sunday became a defining moment for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, fundamentally changing how the congregation understood and practiced their Christian faith. Father O’Brien’s actions had demonstrated the difference between talking about love and actually living it out in challenging circumstances.
The sermon that Father O’Brien had been delivering when James arrived – about the Good Samaritan – took on new meaning for everyone who witnessed the real-life demonstration of what it means to show mercy to a stranger in need. The parable was no longer just an ancient story but a contemporary challenge that they had all just experienced.
Church members began to recognize how easy it had become to compartmentalize their faith, keeping their religious beliefs separate from their daily interactions with people who didn’t fit their expectations or comfort zones. James’s arrival had shattered those artificial divisions.
The experience also highlighted the gap between the church’s stated mission of serving all people and their actual practice of creating subtle but real barriers that excluded those who didn’t conform to middle-class norms of appearance and behavior.
Perhaps most importantly, the congregation learned that true Christian hospitality requires more than just being polite to visitors who look and smell like them. It demands the courage to welcome those who challenge their comfort and force them to confront their own prejudices and assumptions.
The transformation that occurred that day was not just about one homeless man finding acceptance, but about an entire community discovering what it truly means to live out the radical inclusion that Jesus practiced and preached.
A New Ministry Model
In the months following James’s integration into the St. Matthew’s community, Father O’Brien worked with the congregation to develop new approaches to ministry that centered on genuine inclusion rather than charity-based outreach programs.
The church began hosting regular community meals where housed and unhoused individuals could share food and conversation as equals, rather than maintaining the traditional model where volunteers served food to clients across a serving line that reinforced social hierarchies.
They established a partnership with local homeless service providers to offer not just emergency assistance but pathways to community membership for people experiencing housing instability. This included providing mailing addresses, shower facilities, and most importantly, a place where people could belong regardless of their housing status.
The congregation also began regular “listening sessions” where community members experiencing homelessness could share their stories and perspectives, helping housed individuals understand the complex realities of life without stable shelter.
These programs attracted attention from other religious communities and social service organizations who were looking for models of how to move beyond traditional charity approaches toward genuine community integration and social justice work.
Father O’Brien began speaking at conferences and seminars about what he called “incarnational ministry” – the practice of religious communities literally embodying their stated values rather than just preaching about them.
The Ongoing Challenge of Authentic Faith
While the story of James’s acceptance at St. Matthew’s became an inspiring example of religious community at its best, Father O’Brien was careful to emphasize that it represented a beginning rather than a conclusion to their spiritual journey.
The priest regularly reminded his congregation that the test of their faith wasn’t how they treated James, who had become known and loved within their community, but how they would respond to the next unexpected visitor who challenged their comfort and assumptions.
“Every Sunday,” Father O’Brien would say in his sermons, “we have the opportunity to choose between the religion of respectability and the religion of Jesus. One maintains our comfort and social status. The other transforms us into the people God calls us to be.”
The congregation learned that genuine spiritual growth required ongoing vigilance against the human tendency to create in-groups and out-groups, to judge based on appearances, and to prioritize their own comfort over the needs of vulnerable people.
They also discovered that welcoming people like James enriched their own spiritual lives in unexpected ways, as his perspectives on faith, resilience, and community challenged them to deepen their own understanding of what it means to follow Christ.
The story became a touchstone for the community, regularly referenced in sermons and Bible studies as a reminder of what becomes possible when people choose courage over comfort and love over judgment.
The Broader Impact on Community Attitudes
The transformation at St. Matthew’s contributed to broader changes in community attitudes toward homelessness and social exclusion. Local businesses began examining their own policies toward people experiencing homelessness, with several changing practices that had effectively banned homeless individuals from their establishments.
Schools incorporated the story into their curriculum as an example of how individual actions can challenge systemic prejudices and create positive social change. Students wrote essays and created art projects exploring themes of judgment, compassion, and social justice.
City council meetings began featuring regular input from people experiencing homelessness, moving beyond traditional approaches that talked about homeless individuals without including their voices in policy discussions.
The local police department implemented new training protocols that emphasized treating all community members with dignity and respect, regardless of their housing status or appearance.
Mental health professionals in the area noted a shift in how their clients experiencing homelessness described their interactions with housed community members, reporting increased instances of respect and decreased experiences of overt discrimination.
Most significantly, the story inspired individuals throughout the community to examine their own assumptions and behaviors toward people who didn’t conform to social norms of appearance or economic status.
Lessons for Religious Communities Everywhere
The events at St. Matthew’s offered valuable lessons for religious communities of all denominations about the gap between stated values and lived practice. Father O’Brien’s actions demonstrated that authentic spiritual leadership sometimes requires taking risks that challenge both clergy and congregations.
Religious educators and seminary professors began using the story as a case study in practical theology, exploring how religious communities can move beyond charitable activities toward genuine inclusion and social justice work.
The story also highlighted the importance of recognizing that people experiencing poverty, homelessness, or other forms of marginalization have gifts and wisdom to contribute to religious communities, rather than being simply recipients of charity.
Interfaith organizations found in Father O’Brien’s example a model for how different religious traditions could work together to address social exclusion and systemic inequality in their communities.
The story became particularly relevant for religious communities struggling to remain vital and meaningful in an increasingly secular society, demonstrating how authentic engagement with social issues could renew rather than threaten religious institutions.
Most importantly, the events at St. Matthew’s showed that religious communities have the potential to be agents of social transformation when they choose to embody their highest values rather than simply proclaiming them.
Conclusion: Where Judgment Ends and Love Begins
Today, nearly two years after that transformative October morning, James Patterson continues to be an active and valued member of the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church community. His journey from rejection to acceptance, from homelessness to housing, and from isolation to belonging serves as a living testament to what becomes possible when people choose compassion over judgment.
Father Michael O’Brien’s decision to remove his shoes and give them to a homeless stranger lasted only a few minutes, but its impact continues to ripple through the community and beyond. His action demonstrated that the most powerful sermons are often preached through deeds rather than words.
The congregation members who initially reacted with such hostility to James’s presence have become some of his strongest advocates and friends, their transformation serving as proof that people can change when confronted with the gap between their stated beliefs and their actual behavior.
St. Matthew’s has become known throughout the region as a model of inclusive religious community, attracting visitors who want to see what authentic Christian hospitality looks like in practice. But Father O’Brien is quick to emphasize that their work is ongoing and that every Sunday brings new opportunities to choose love over fear.
The story of James and Father O’Brien has been shared in countless sermons, articles, and presentations as an example of what religious faith looks like when it moves beyond comfortable platitudes to radical action. It challenges every religious community to examine whether they are truly living out their stated values or simply maintaining social conventions.
Perhaps most importantly, the events of that Sunday morning remind us that the divine often appears in forms we don’t expect, challenging us to look beyond appearances and see the sacred worth of every human being. In a world that often seems divided by fear and prejudice, James’s story offers hope that transformation is possible when even one person chooses to act with radical compassion.
As Father O’Brien often says in his sermons, “God sends us teachers in many forms. Sometimes they wear dirty clothes and bare feet, and they come not to receive our charity but to offer us the gift of seeing ourselves as we really are.” The lesson that kindness begins where judgment ends is one that extends far beyond the walls of any church, offering a blueprint for how we might all choose to live with greater compassion and authentic love.
Adrian Hawthorne is a celebrated author and dedicated archivist who finds inspiration in the hidden stories of the past. Educated at Oxford, he now works at the National Archives, where preserving history fuels his evocative writing. Balancing archival precision with creative storytelling, Adrian founded the Hawthorne Institute of Literary Arts to mentor emerging writers and honor the timeless art of narrative.