{"id":21071,"date":"2025-08-06T12:32:35","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T17:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carmelites.net\/?p=21071"},"modified":"2025-08-06T21:41:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T02:41:54","slug":"who-is-edith-stein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carmelites.net\/de\/carmelite-review\/who-is-edith-stein\/","title":{"rendered":"Wer ist Edith Stein?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Who is Edith Stein?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Saint Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) (born 1891) was a philosopher, author, who converted to Catholicism and became a nun at Cologne Carmel.\u00a0 She and her sister were arrested at Echt Carmel and martyred at Auschwitz in 1942.<\/p>

Edith Stein was born at Breslau on October 12, 1891, to German Jewish parents, and after her secondary education, she enrolled in the city university to specialize in German studies and history, although her real interests were philosophy and women\u2019s issues. \u00a0\u00a0In 1913, she transferred to the University of G\u00f6ttingen to study under Edmund Husserl. From the age of fifteen she was in effect an atheist. She had her first serious encounter with Christianity listening to Max Scheler. In 1916, she completed her studies at Freiburg-im-Breisgau where she defended her doctorate directed by Husserl. She remained working in the university until 1918.<\/p>

In 1921 she read the autobiography of Teresa of Avila and became aware of being called to become a Catholic; she was baptized on January 1, 1922. She made her First Communion the same day and was confirmed on the following February 2nd<\/sup>. After her conversion, she felt herself attracted to the religious life,\u00a0but circumstances forced her to delay this decision until 1933. When in 1933 she lost her teaching post as a result of national anti-Jewish laws, she entered the Carmel at Cologne on October 14th<\/sup>, taking the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.<\/p>

On December 31,1938 she transferred to the Carmel at Echt in Holland to escape Nazi persecution of the Jews. In 1940, the situation worsened also in Holland. When the prescriptions became more severe, she sought a transfer to the Carmel in Switzerland. While the arrangements were being negotiated for her move, deportations of the Jews to the concentration camps began in Holland. Sister Teresa Benedicta, accompanied by her sister Rosa who had also become a Catholic, was taken to Amersfort on August 2, 1942. On \u00a0August 3rd<\/sup> she was transferred to Westerbork. On August 7th<\/sup>, she and her sister together with other deportees were locked in railway wagons and taken by train to the extermination camp at Auschwitz, a voyage which took two days.<\/p>

Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross died in a gas chamber after she arrived at the camp at Auschwitz on Sunday, August 9, 1942, and her body was cremated there. She was beatified on May 1, 1987 and canonized on October 11, 1998 by Pope Saint John Paul II. On October 2, 1999, the same Pope proclaimed her co-patroness of Europe.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Below is the latest video in our “Why is there no Saint Carmel?” series in which Fr. John Sullivan, OCD, presents a brief story of Edith Stein, the lessons she has to teach us, and how we may apply those lessons in our Carmelite life. Additionally, below the video are a few resources we recommend for those who would like to learn more about this amazing Carmelite Saint.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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To find more resources and to learn more about Edith, or any of the Carmelite Saints and Carmelite Spirituality, we suggest:<\/strong><\/p>

Life in a Jewish Family: An Autobiography, 1891-1916 (CWES, vol. 1)<\/a><\/p>

On The Problem of Empathy (CWES, vol. 3)<\/a><\/p>

The Hidden Life: Essays, Meditations, Spiritual Texts (CWES, vol. 4)<\/a><\/p>

For educational opportunities including webinars and Days of Recollection – https:\/\/www.carmeliteinstitute.net<\/a><\/p>

Carmelite Institute of North America Presentation – Video of presentation by Dianne Trafflet, S.T.D., at the 2024 CINA Symposium<\/a><\/p>

For other print resources written by Carmelites \u2013 https:\/\/www.icspublications.org<\/a><\/p>

For Retreat Opportunities – https:\/\/carmelitespiritualcenter.org<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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An upcoming pilgrimage – the video to the right provides additional overview…<\/strong><\/p>

In the Footsteps of
<\/strong>Saints Edith Stein and Titus Brandsma:
<\/strong>A Journey of Faith and Courage
<\/strong>May 18\u201028, 2026<\/strong><\/h4>

Visit https:\/\/carmeliteinstitute.net\/pilgrimage-to-germany-netherlands\/<\/a> for more information.<\/strong><\/p>

TOUR COST<\/strong>
$4,834.00<\/strong>
per person based upon double occupancy<\/strong>
\u2022<\/strong>
For single occupancy please add $1,285.00.<\/strong>
This price includes:<\/strong>
Roundtrip airfare from New York JFK<\/strong>
Airline taxes\/fuel surcharges as currently levied<\/strong>
Accommodation in First Class\/4 star hotels<\/strong>
All hotel taxes and service charges<\/strong>
Meals as per itinerary<\/strong>
Arrival and departure transfers on a group basis<\/strong>
Baggage handling at hotels<\/strong>
Land travel by deluxe motorcoach<\/strong>
Train from Cologne to Munich<\/strong>
Sightseeing with professional local guides<\/strong>
Professional tour manager<\/strong>
All entrance fees as per itinerary<\/strong>
Daily Mass<\/strong>
Airfares from other departure cities throughout the<\/strong>
United States are available upon request.<\/strong>
\u2022<\/strong>
For those who prefer to arrange their own flights<\/strong>
the Land\u2010Only cost is $3,944.00 per person.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fr. John Sullivan, O.C.D., is a priest of the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites and earned his doctorate at the Institut Catholique in Paris. He served as\u00a0Chair of the Institute of Carmelite Studies for many years and directed ICS Publications. With encouragement from Sr. Josephine Koeppel, O.C.D., he launched the ongoing ICS\u00a0project to translate and publish the works of Edith Stein in English. This initiative was\u00a0pivotal for Stein scholarship in the English-speaking world.<\/em><\/p>

Over 40 years ago, in 1984, Fr. John organized a symposium at the Catholic University\u00a0of America on the life and thought of Edith Stein. The event featured distinguished\u00a0speakers such as Jan Nota, Mary Catherine Basehart, Ralph McInerny, and Freda Mary\u00a0Oben. He later edited the proceedings for the series Carmelite Studies. Access to\u00a0Stein’s writings was limited at that time to Herder\u2019s Edith Steins Werke, which was then\u00a0under the editorial control of Dr. Lucy Gelber. Fr. John carefully negotiated the\u00a0necessary permissions to publish English translations through ICS, and this agreement remains in place today.<\/em><\/p>

The translation project began with Sr. Josephine Koeppel\u2019s edition of Life in a Jewish\u00a0Family, which received the Catholic Press Association\u2019s award for best spirituality book\u00a0in 1986. The series continued with Freda Mary Oben\u2019s Essays on Woman, a reprint of\u00a0Waltraut Stein\u2019s translation of The Problem of Empathy, and several more volumes. As\u00a0each volume appeared, Stein\u2019s philosophical and spiritual insights were gradually\u00a0unveiled to a broader readership.<\/em><\/p>

Fr. John has given many talks and conferences on Edith Stein, with a particular\u00a0emphasis on her spiritual writings. He has also led pilgrims to sites associated with her\u00a0life, participated in her beatification and canonization, and maintained personal contact\u00a0with relatives of Stein and individuals who knew her personally.<\/em><\/p>

His contributions to Stein scholarship include several edited volumes, most notably\u00a0Holiness Befits Your House: Documentation on the Canonization of Edith Stein and\u00a0Edith Stein: Essential Writings in the Modern Spiritual Masters series. He also\u00a0collaborated extensively with Sr. Josephine Koeppel and Suzanne Batzdorff (Edith\u00a0Stein\u2019s niece) on a revised edition of Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and\u00a0Carmelite.<\/em><\/p>

In all these efforts Fr. John has served as a kind of ambassador of Edith Stein. He\u00a0mediates her voice to new audiences. His work has not only made Stein\u2019s writings\u00a0accessible to English-speaking readers but has also deepened devotion to her as a\u00a0witness to Christ. Through his decades of contributing to Stein studies, and encouraging\u00a0others to do the same, he has amplified the reception of her life and thought across\u00a0continents and generations.<\/em><\/p>

In 1995, the Edith Stein Guild in New York honored him with the Edith Stein Award.\u00a0And in 2025, IASPES honors Fr. John Sullivan with this lifetime achievement award for\u00a0outstanding contributions to the study of the philosophy of Edith Stein.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We hope you are enjoying “Why Is There No Saint Carmel?” video series – view all current and future additions to the series by visiting our YouTube channel.<\/a> We invite you to return for future videos, and we pray these reflections inspire you to go deeper and learn more from our amazing family of Carmelite saints.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Carmelites of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, in allegiance to Jesus Christ, live in a prophetic and contemplative stance of prayer, common life, and service.\u00a0 Inspired by Elijah and Mary and informed by the Carmelite Rule, we give witness to an eight-hundred-year-old tradition of spiritual transformation in the United States, Canada, Peru, Mexico, and El Salvador, and Honduras.<\/strong><\/p>

Please consider supporting their mission
https:\/\/carmelitemedia.tiny.us\/supportpcm<\/a>
to make a financial donation.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t<\/i>Zur\u00fcck<\/span><\/span>Previous<\/span>Who is Titus Brandsma?<\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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