Edith Stein was born in Breslau, the capital of Prussian Silesia, on October 12, 1891, to a Jewish family of German stock. Brought up in the values of the Hebrew religion, at the age of 14 she abandoned the faith of her fathers and became agnostic. She studied philosophy in Göttingen, becoming a disciple of Edmund Husserl, the founder of the phenomenological school.

She has a reputation as a brilliant philosopher. In 1921 she converted to Catholicism, receiving baptism in 1922. She taught for eight years in Speyer (from 1923 to 1931). In 1932 she was called to teach at the Pedagogical Institute of Münster, Westphalia, but her activity was suspended after about a year because of the racial laws.

In 1933, following a long-cherished desire, she entered the Cologne Carmel as a postulant. She took the name of Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. On 2^nd of August 1942, she was taken by the Gestapo and deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, where she died in the gas chamber on 9^th of August.

The beatification ceremony was held on May 1^st, 1987. The solemn ceremony of canonization on October 11, 1998. In 1999 she was declared, with St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Catherine of Siena, a Co-patroness of Europe.

1. The canonical norms concerning the procedure to be followed in the Causes of Saints are stated in the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister promulgated by John Paul II on 25 January 1983 (AAS LXXV, 1983, 349-355).

2. To initiate a Cause it is necessary that at least five years pass after the death of the candidate. This is to allow for greater balance and objectivity in the evaluation of the case and to allow the emotions of the moment to decant. There must be a clear conviction among people about his/her sanctity (fama sanctitas) and about the efficacy of his/her intercession with the Lord (fama signorum).

http://www.edithstein.name/ 

http://www.karmelitinnen-koeln.de/ 

http://www.filosofico.net/edithstein.htm 

http://www.maranatha.it/Festiv2/festeSolen/0809Page.htm 

Siamo Noi - La preghiera di Santa Teresa Benedetta della Croce

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Joseph Kalinowski was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1835,

He was a military engineer and captain of General Staff. He worked on building railways and fortresses. He participated, albeit reluctantly, in the Polish-Lithuanian uprising against the Russians. Because of this, he was condemned to forced labour in Siberia, where he brought with him the Gospel, the «Imitation of Christ» and a crucifix, comforting those whom he met. Finally set free, he entered the Carmel of Graz at the age of forty-two. Having become Br Raphael of Saint Joseph, he went to Poland, to Czerna, where he spent his days exercising the ministry of Confession for hours upon hours. He would have liked to stay there, but his Order called him to found new communities in the country.

The last one to be founded was in Wadowice, where he died in 1907.

The beatification ceremony was held on June 22, 1983. The solemn ceremony of canonization on November 17, 1991.

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2) If your request is accepted, we will then send you the conditions and directions for consulting the document.

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1. The canonical norms concerning the procedure to be followed in the Causes of Saints are stated in the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister promulgated by John Paul II on 25 January 1983 (AAS LXXV, 1983, 349-355).

2. To initiate a Cause it is necessary that at least five years pass after the death of the candidate. This is to allow for greater balance and objectivity in the evaluation of the case and to allow the emotions of the moment to decant. There must be a clear conviction among people about his/her sanctity (fama sanctitas) and about the efficacy of his/her intercession with the Lord (fama signorum).

María Maravillas Pidal y Chico de Guzman, was born in Madrid on November 4, 1891. From childhood she wanted to consecrate herself to God and dedicated her youth to helping those in need.

Attracted by the spirituality of Saint Teresa of Jesus and Saint John of the Cross and moved by her love for the Virgin Mary, she entered the El Escorial Carmel on October 12, 1919, taking the name of Sr Maravillas of Jesus.

In 1924 she founded a Monastery of Discalced Carmelites in Cerro de los Angeles, the geographical centre of the Iberian Peninsula, next to the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a place of prayer and sacrifice for the Church and for Spain. 

During the religious persecution, Mother Maravillas shone for her spirit of reparation, her fortitude, serenity and trust in the Lord. As a sign of fidelity to St. Teresa she proceeded to  found ten other Carmelite convents, recovering traditional places of St. Teresa and St. John. Prioress for many years, she formed her sisters with the witness of her virtue and was distinguished by her mystical life, apostolic zeal and goodness, combined with firmness towards her nuns, who considered her a true mother. She died in the Carmel of La Aldehuela, on December 11, 1974, pronouncing the following words: «What happiness to die a Carmelite»!

The beatification ceremony was held on May 10, 1998. The solemn canonization ceremony on May 4, 2003.

PLEASE NOTE

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2) If your request is accepted, we will then send you the conditions and directions for consulting the document.

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