The teacher, the speaker, the academics

After her baptism. Edith joins the Normal School of the Dominicans sisters in Speyer. There, she teaches History, German and Latin. Although overqualified for such a task, she explains patiently, giving particular attention to her weakest students, never belittling their intellectual capacities. She provides a holistic education, focusing on both the corporal and spiritual aspect of the human being. 

Along with her teaching duties, she speaks as an apostolate in Catholic circles in Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland. She is invited to partake in conferences on themes such as Pedagogy or the Woman condition. 

Starting 1928, she undergoes spiritual retreats at Christmas and Easter, at the Benedictine Abbey of Beuron, Germany. There, she participates in all the offices, and she meets Brother Raphael Walzer, who will become a close friend. 

Starting 1932, she teaches Scientific Pedagogy at the Institute of Munster. She shows a particular interest in the anthropological foundations of pedagogy. 

Despite an abundance of activities during this period of her life, Edith still finds the time for prayer and silence, liturgical office and daily mass. 

In January 1933, Hitler ascends to power. Edith is barred from teaching. She sees in her dismissal an opportunity to focus on her longtime project of entering religious life.

 The call of Carmel

Edith comes back to Breslau to say goodbye to her family. It is tough for her. She leaves, not to be seen again. She enters the Carmel of Cologne at the age of 42.  

Edith Stein chooses her new religious name with is accompanying mystery: Sister Teresa-Benedicta of the Cross. 

In her community, she finds the joy of her childhood. Slowly but surely, she gets used to the numerous observances of cloistered life. But it doesn't go that smoothly: her Novice Mistress is both hard - she submits Edith to countless humiliations - and kind - she lets her continue her regular correspondence with her family and friends, one letter a week, contrary to the current custom.

Her superiors sometimes request from her spiritual articles, and encourage her, following her first vows, to achieve her major philosophical work: "Finite and Eternal Being: An Attempt to an Ascent to the Meaning of Being."

Once her philosophical work completed in 1937, Edith goes back to her work as a nurse and as an extern sister: she maintains relationships with other monasteries on behalf of hers. 

Her life as a Carmelite is imprinted by the tragic events of her time. The religious mystery, which she chose and received, the Cross, expresses her vocation: to participate in the sufferings of the Cross of Christ through the persecution of the Jewish people, her people. 

The letter that she sent to Pope Pius XI, right before entering the Carmel in 1933, showed her lucidity as to the Nazi ideology and its eventual consequences: 

As a child of the Jewish people who, by the grace of God, for the past eleven years has also been a child of the Catholic Church, I dare to speak to the Father of Christianity about that which oppresses millions of Germans. For weeks we have seen deeds perpetrated in Germany which mock any sense of justice and humanity, not to mention love of neighbor. For years the leaders of National Socialism have been preaching hatred of the Jews... But the responsibility must fall, after all, on those who brought them to this point and it also falls on those who keep silent in the face of such happenings. Everything that happened and continues to happen on a daily basis originates with a government that calls itself 'Christian'. For weeks not only Jews but also thousands of faithful Catholics in Germany, and, I believe, all over the world, have been waiting and hoping for the Church of Christ to raise its voice to put a stop to this abuse of Christ's name. Is not this idolization of race and governmental power which is being pounded into the public consciousness by the radio open heresy? Isn't the effort to destroy Jewish blood an abuse of the holiest humanity of our Savior, of the most blessed Virgin and the apostles? Is not all this diametrically opposed to the conduct of our Lord and Savior, who, even on the cross, still prayed for his persecutors? And isn't this a black mark on the record of this Holy Year which was intended to be a year of peace and reconciliation? We all, who are faithful children of the Church and who see the conditions in Germany with open eyes, fear the worst for the prestige of the Church, if the silence continues any longer. We are convinced that this silence will not be able in the long run to purchase peace with the present German government. For the time being, the fight against Catholicism will be conducted quietly and less brutally than against Jewry, but no less systematically. It won't take long before no Catholic will be able to hold office in Germany unless he dedicates himself unconditionally to the new course of action.