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Opinion/comments Pittsburgh Catholic, Friday, February ,13.1988 mr Page g Area fascinated with Edith Stein Letters to the editor (Second of two parts.) sociological and philosophical ex­ humility of a publican.” B y S r. MARY FIDELIA CHMIEL, planations to the basic questions She entered Carmel at 42. By C.8.8.P. I of a woman's Identity grounded in her own admission, the adjust­ In an age of Lady Doctors in the Support fired hospital w orkers the power of faith. It was a very ment was most difficult. Her Church it is Interesting to note difficult time in Europe fun­ superior had to order her to takb To the Editor: that Edith Stein’s experience with damentally altered by the up once again her habituifl Theresa of Avila was no different The labor-management situation as well as the quality of pa­ catastrophic war of 1914-1918. studies and her religious and from what happened to Teresa tient careat McKeesport Hospital are of great concern to all in our She insisted that a genuine philosophical works. Fortunately, herself 400 years earlier as she community. preparation for the expanding she encountered superiors who was reading St. Augustine. At this However, some of us In religious leadership are particularly role of women demanded training understood that the cloister does point in her life, Edith Stein, In affective values. Furthermore, not put an end to genius. Here stie CO«^ fm ** ° ne “ P®04 of thlS situation brilliant philosopher, who com­ Whatever the details or mistakes of union leadership, If any. It she felt It was no longer possible wrote Finite and Eternal BetrQi pleted her thesis on empathy 8,1 exercise of raw power to flre 200 people. Cer- to restrict a woman's place to the and the Science of the Cross. tahdy this offends the sensitivity of many in this area. summa cum laude hesitated bet­ home and cloister. Women have We ask for immediate talks to reinstate the original workers ween embracing Lutheranism or come to function In the profes­ There is no modem saint A Catholicism. mystic Edith learned to let go and bctween the union and the management to sional world as men’s equals but whose life the weight of historic settle their differences. While staying with the Conrad- allow the intellect to rest In according to Edith a woman who evil Is more acutely felt than In Martiuaes at their farm, she went prayer. SISTER MARIETTA RUHE entered the professions had the life of this extraordinary to look for something to read one Though still at the beginning of SISTER JOEL CAMPBELL another task “to merge her voca­ scholar, convert, professional evening when her host had gone her pilgrimage of faith, she was FR. STEVE CHERVENAK tion as a woman with her par­ philosopher, mystic and saint*. out. She chose the ready to take on any difficulties FR. PETER MURPHY ticular vocation and Impress the Her life of faith leaves one stirred autobiographical life of St. Teresa the new life entailed. Interior SISTER CAROLYN WIETHORN latter with a truly feminine digni­ to the very foundations; her death of Avila. Once she began reading prayer and exterior action were ty and character.” as a victim of the heinous Nafl FR. JOHN CASSELLA it, she found it impossible to put inseparably united in her ex­ FR. LEO HENRY Holocaust has even more to say down. She read all night. At tremely productive life. Writers of SISTER MARY THERESA LEITEM Supporting her views with than we can ever fully com­ daybreak, when she finally finish­ all categories should find consola­ quotations from the New Testa­ prehend. Though she repeatedly FR. NEIL McCAULLEY ed reading It, she said to herself tion and encouragement In her FR. TOM SMITH ment, she maintained that a voca­ renewed her act of oblation and McKeesport "This is the truth.” Her passion final assessment that, “No In­ tion to celibacy implicitly atonement for the entire world, for the truth led her to this point. tellectual work Is brought Into the acknowledged a significance for she was greatful that hrfl- Why was Teresa of Avila so world without heavy labor.” woman independent of man. The superiors arranged to have her T h e greatest love of all helpful In Edith's decision? In this After her conversion, Edith well-known author Gertrude von transferred from Cologne to Echt. remarkable partly Jewish gave up plans for a scholarly Le Fort who attended Edith’s Holland. When the Nazi were clos­ To the Editor: woman, Edith found a striking career and accepted a position reception of the habit at Carmel In ing in on Holland, she even hoped I would like to comment on Fr. John Catoir's column, headlin­ confirmation of her own ex­ teaching German at a Dominican Cologne was so Impressed by to move to a Swiss Carmel. ed "Gospel Is God's Valentine” (Pittsburgh Catholic. Feb. 5). The perience. Suddenly she realized School. To her. education was a Edith's radiant appearance that She loved her people with ah lines that struck me most were romantic love had nearly cost the that God Is not a God of form of the apostolate; the glow­ she kept a photo of her on her undying love to the very end. adulterous woman her life and eternal love had saved her. No one knowledge but God is love. He ing testimonies of her students desk as an inspiration for her After her transfer she wrote to a can love us like Jesus. When we accept His forgiveness and love, reveals his mysteries to a heart confirm her remarkable gifts of book The Eternal Woman. friend that she firmly believed we experience the greatest healing and happiness there is in life. that surrenders and not to the dedication. They were all willing Edith regarded charity as an that the Lord accepted her life as JAMES BRANNAN deductive intelligence, however to beatify her by acclamation. essential form of the apostolate an offering for all. She always McKees Rocks brilliant. Besides being an During this somewhat retired ex­ and recommended genuine remembered how Queen Esther authentic mystic. Teresa of Jesus istence she grew in her interior solidarity with those in need of was separated from her people so was a bom psychologist and a life and prepared herself for her support. She challenged Chris­ she could intercede for them Priest identified incorrectly competent communicator of self- future work as lecturer and public tians in the world reminding before the king. The Gestapo knowledge; she succeeded in speaker. them "There's quite a distance finally banged at the Echt con­ To the Editor: overcoming Edith's metaphysical This brilliant Jewish scholar between leading a self satisfied vent door and took her to In the front page photo headlined "Interfaith Breakfast," (Pitt­ prejudices and her fear of en­ was the model of the professional existence of the 'good Auschwitz. She lived out the sburgh Catholic, Jan. 22) the newspaper Identified Incorrectly countering the living God. A woman; her philosophical works Catholic’...who does Just as he prayer she had written five days the Episcopal priest at the far left of the photo. His correct name Is mysterious light burst Into flame. attracted attention far and wide. pleases and living one’s life In the before her death on Aug. 9 1942 The Rev. James Simons, assistant, St. Martin's, Monroeville. With Teresa. Edith encountered Ahead of her time, she went presence of God, with the which concluded with “Hail, O I call this to your attention, not only because everyone in the the Cross and from the Spanish beyond the psychological. simplicity of a child and the Cross, our only hope.” paper likes to be correctly Identified — as I am sure you attempt to do — but also to emphasize that there are a substantial number of Episcopal clergy and laypersons who are very solidly pro-life. We don’t always get adequate recognition for our stand. Religions seeking Mid East peace I trust you will make a correction of this in a subsequent Issue By MIKE McMANUS of the newspaper which I incidentally like very much. "The Palestinians today are not gle is not "between villains and WASHINGTON — High above trying to destroy the State of saints. We need to stop Judging the nation's capital in the new Israel, but are fighting for the each other and understand eacn REV. EVERETT I. CAMPBELL tower of the National Cathedral, Oakland right to be called a people and a other. Why are half of Israelis un­ several hundred of America's nation in a mini-state next to willing to make concessions? leading Christians. Jews and Michael Israel. In the past several weeks of Muslims met on Jan. 27 to create McManus "They are motivated by fear. uprising, not a single Israeli The PLO was built up in the '60s Plan for fallen-aw ay Catholics an unprecedented U.S. Inter- soldier or settlement resident was rellglous Committee for Peace in with the explicit purpose of undo­ killed" — a remarkable achieve­ ing Israel.” When defeated in the To the Editor: the Middle East. ment since so many young A recent survey reports that only 44 percent of registered These people of faith- gave me 1967 war, PLO's tactics changed Palestinians have given their to guerrilla warfare." 1 Catholics attend Mass on Sunday. What a great sorrow for the my first sense of hope for an end lives, proving that "the younger k Body of Christ to dwindle so.

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