St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross - Edith Stein

"My Lord, God, you have led me by a long dark path, rocky and hard/
often my strength threatened to fail me/
I almost lost all hope of seeing the light/
but when my heart grew numb with deepest grief/
a clear star rose for me/
steadfast it guided me- I followed/
at first reluctant, but more confidentl­y later/
At last I stood at Church's gate/
it opened, I sought admission/
from your priest's mouth, your blessing greets me/
red blossom stars show me the path to you...
now I can shout it out, I believe, I profess!" --

Edith Stein,
Jewish atheist,
philosophe­r,
feminist,
PhD,
Catholic convert,
Carmelite nun,
martyr at Auschwitz,
Catholic saint