August 9
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Virgin, Nun, Martyr
(1891 – 1942)
“O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me.”
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Coming November 1, 2024 on Amazon
Saint’s Life Story
Her Early Life
Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891, in Breslaw, Dolnoslaskie, Germany (now known as Wroclaw, Poland), as the youngest of eleven children in a Jewish family. Her jewish parents were Siegried Stein and Auguste Courant. Although her parents were practicing Jews, Edith became an atheist during her adolescent years. A critical thinker and a gifted scholar, Edith studied phenomenology and philosophy at the Universities of Breslau and Goettingen, both in Germany.
Her studies were temporarily discontinued due to the outbreak of World War I. During the War, she felt motivated to offer her assistance to alleviate the suffering and tragedies of the war. In 1915, she became a nursing assistant and worked in a Red Cross hospital for the prevention of infectious diseases.
Following World War I, Edith resumed her studies at the University of Freiburg and was awarded a doctorate in philosophy Suma Cum Laude at age 25 in 1916. Later, she became the assistant and colleague of Professor Husserl, the famous founder of phenomenology, who greatly appreciated her brilliant mind.
Catholic Convert
Edith was searching for the truth and finally found it in the Catholic Church, initially through her study of the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas. in fact, one evening Edith picked up an autobiography of Saint Teresa of Ávila and read this book all night. “When I had finished the book, I said to myself: This is the truth.” Later, looking back on her life, she wrote: “My longing for truth was a single prayer.” On January 1, 1922, she converted to Catholicism in Cologne, Germany, and was baptized in Saint Martin’s Church in Bad Bergzabern.
She became a nun and dedicated herself to a life of prayer, contemplation, and service to God. Initially, she worked as a teacher in the Dominican school in Speyer and also served as a lecturer at the Educational Institute in Munich, both in Germany. She also became a famous author and philosopher, spending her days writing, translating, teaching, and lecturing.
When she was teaching at a Catholic school in Speyer, she was forced to resign from her teaching positions due to an imperative made by the Nazi government which required an “Aryan certificate” for civil servants as part of the growing anti-Jewish sentiment.
Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Edith entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Cologne in October 1933. Here, she received the religious habit of the Order as a novice in April 1934, at the age of 43, taking the religious name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (“Teresa blessed by the Cross”). As a Catholic with Jewish heritage, she faced a significant threat from the Nazis. In 1938, she and her sister Rosa, also a convert and an extern Sister of the monastery, were smuggled out of her German Carmelite monastery and found refuge in the Netherlands for their protection and safety.
Her Death
However, with the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands during World War II, on August 2, 1942, they were both captured from her monastery and transported by cattle train to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. The conditions in the box cars were so inhuman that many died on the four day trip.
Tragically, on August 9, 1942, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and her sister, Rose, were among the countless victims who died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz being cremated at the age of 51 on August 9, 1942 in Auschwitz- Birkenau, Poland.
Born: October 12, 1891, in Breslaw, Dolnoslaskie, Germany
Died: August 9, 1942 in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland
Beatified: May 1, 1987 by Pope John Paul II
Canonized: October 11, 1998 by Pope John Paul II
Feast Day: August 9
Patron Saint: Converts; Europe; Loss of Parents; Martyrs
Reflection
After her conversion from Judaism, Edith Stein entered the Discalced Carmelite Order, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Her life as a Carmelite nun was marked by a deep embrace of the cross, reflecting on the redemptive power of suffering. During the rise of the Nazi regime, her Jewish heritage and Catholic faith made her a target. She faced this danger with remarkable courage and integrity, ultimately accepting her fate with a spirit of surrender to God’s will. Her martyrdom serves as a powerful witness to standing firm in one’s beliefs, even in the face of persecution and death.
Do you surrender yourself totally to God? Using Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross’s inspiring example, how can you today live your faith courageously and stand up for justice and truth, no matter the cost?
Prayers
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,
Your journey from Judaism through atheism to Catholicism inspires us to seek truth with both our hearts and minds embracing the cross of Christ with unwavering faith.
We come before you in prayer, seeking your intercession and guidance.
Help us to find strength and hope in our own trials, trusting in God’s loving plan for our lives.
As a philosopher and advocate for women’s rights, you highlighted the unique contributions of women to family and society.
Inspire us to promote the dignity and equality of all people, advocating for the rights and unique gifts of women in all areas of life.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us. Amen.
Saint Links
Aleteia – Saint of the Day: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
AnaStPaul – Saint of the Day – 9 August – St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross/Edith Stein (1891-1942)
Catholic Culture – Prayer to Saint Edith Stein
Catholic Exchange – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross & the Mystery of Suffering
Catholic Herald – How St Teresa Benedicta reconciled with her devout Jewish mother
Catholic Insight – St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a Mystic for our Times
Catholic Ireland – Aug 9 – St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) (1891-1942)
Catholic News Agency – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) Feast day: Aug 09
Catholic Online – St. Edith Stein
Catholic365 – Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross: A Jewish Convert to Catholicism and a Martyr of the Catholic Faith
CNewsLive – St. Edith Stein, Saint of the Day, 9th August
Communio – St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Daily Prayers – Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Franciscan Media – Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Independent Catholic News – St Theresa Benedicta of the Cross
Loyola Press – Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) Feast Day August 9
Melanie Rigney – Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
National Catholic Register – ‘This Is the Truth’ — Edith Stein Saw Human Dignity in the Light of the Cross
Saints Alive – St. Edith Stein
Saints for Sinners – Saint Edith Stein
Saint Mary’s Press – Saint Edith Stein (1891-1942)
Spiritual Direction – Edith Stein’s Journey To Sainthood
The Catholic Miscellany – St. Teresa Benedicta: A life of the mind
The Catholic Thing – Edith Stein: Catholic and Jewish Martyr
The Saint Challenge – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross – August 9
The Wanderer – St. Edith Stein… A True Feminist
uCatholic – Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Vatican – Pope John Paul II: Canonization Homily of Edith Stein
Video Link
On This Day – Saint Edith Stein – YouTube (Patrick4now)