(1933-2017)

Wisdom Woman, Critical Thinker, Friend to All

Sister Diana Bader, baptized Gloria Bernadine, was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on July 9, 1933. She was the first of five children born to Martin and Marjorie (Hartney) Bader. Her siblings are John (Jack), Donna, Betty, and Colleen. 

In her autobiography, Sister Diana wrote: 

During my childhood, family life was much broader than our immediate family, embracing fourteen aunts and uncles and numerous cousins. My father’s Dutch ancestry has always been a matter of pride and fascination for me, especially as I have observed the Dutch Catholic Church over recent decades.

Sister Diana was educated at St. Patrick, the parish school in Vancouver. She graduated from St. Patrick High School in 1950. Her first interest in a religious vocation developed during those years, but, she said, “I didn’t give it a lot of attention because my focus was on becoming a physician.” However, this all changed when she heard the Dominican preachers. She wrote:

When I “heard the call” it came from the Dominican Order, through the preachers who offered missions and retreats fairly regularly in Vancouver parishes. I soon found my way to the women’s branch of the order, located in Everett.

Read more about Sister Diana (pdf)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.