St. Edith Stein was a brilliant philosopher who came to the Catholic faith through her intellectual pursuit of the truth.

She was born to a large Jewish family in Poland in 1891 and was an extraordinary student. She earned her doctorate in philosophy at the age of 25, and it was the witness of some of her friends that initially invited her to consider the Christian faith. She saw the strength of their faith and began studying the Catholic tradition. She converted and later became a Carmelite nun and taught in European universities as a member of the intellectual elite. 

Her order relocated her to a convent in Holland because of her Jewish heritage, but she was eventually hunted down by the Nazis and was killed in a gas chamber in Auschwitz in 1942. 

St. Edith Stein is the patron saint of Europe. Her story and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.

St. Edith Stein, you searched for truth in philosophy and found Catholicism before being killed by the Nazis—pray for us!

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Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Edith Stein is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.