Becca Self, Staff Writer

“Late have I loved you, O beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!  You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.”  Saint Augustine penned these profound words over a thousand years ago.  It would be good to learn from his regrets, so as not to repeat them.  In order to facilitate the same type of reflection that brought Augustine closer to Christ, the Identity Project of Notre Dame (also known as idND) will host its annual conference on the topic of “Modern Beauty: Unveiling the Mystery” on February 8 and 9 in McKenna Hall.

According to Father Bill Miscamble, CSC, the Edith Stein Project is “among the most important student-organized gatherings on campus because it allows students to focus on some of the most important matters that they should consider during their college years and to wrestle with central questions regarding how to live a good and virtuous life.”

In addition to weekly meetings and speaker events throughout the academic year, the members of idND organize an annual conference inspired by the writings of Edith Stein to “explore our fundamental desire for beauty and its proper role in our lives, particularly in the way it affects our relationships with other people, with ourselves, and, ultimately, with God” (idND website, 2013 conference description page).  The members of idND chose Edith Stein as their model because she “celebrated women’s unique gift to act as instruments of empathy in her writings and through her exemplary life” (idND website, mission statement page).

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, born Edith Stein, was a Jewish volunteer nurse, radical suffragette, and writer who converted to Catholicism and eventually entered the Carmelite order.  One of the first women admitted to university studies in Germany, Stein excelled in philology and philosophy, and had a particular interest in women’s issues.  She later became the leading voice of the Catholic Women’s Movement in Germany before her death at Auschwitz in 1942.

The Edith Stein Project began 8 years ago out of a “desire to show the relevance of Catholic teachings to modern dilemmas,” said one member of idND.  The Project’s founders began planning the first conference in 2004, which came to fruition in 2006.  One of the prime motivations for the Edith Stein conference, called “Redefining Feminism,” was the performance of the controversial “Vagina Monologues” on Notre Dame’s campus.  The “Vagina Monologues,” then a popular show on American college campuses, included a series of soliloquies by female characters about their sexual experiences.  Some of the monologues are expressions of great profundity, such as a Bosnian refugee woman who describes her rape at the hands of captors.  Most of the play, however, treats sexuality in a promiscuous, flippant tone, and seems to promote or at least condone behavior that is inconsistent with the inherent dignity of women.  Since then, the Edith Stein Project has become a mecca for college students as an intellectual and spiritual retreat where they can learn how to grow up gracefully.

Sophomore Katherine Stultz is a member of the Venue and Hospitality Committee for this year’s conference.  She hopes that the talks will resonate with Notre Dame students, helping them overcome obstacles unique to college students. To explain what she believes to be the heart of the project, Stultz synthesized two quotes attributed to Saint Augustine and Pope Benedict XVI, respectively: “Love is the beauty of the soul,” and so “we need to summon up the humility to allow ourselves to be loved.”  Here Stultz draws attention to the openness necessary to benefit from the conference’s discussion of beauty and love as fundamental elements of human dignity.

This posture of humility and openness needs to involve the intellect as well as the heart.  Thus the list of presenters includes individuals who have successfully incorporated truth, goodness, and beauty into their professional and scholarly ventures.  Monsignor Michael Heintz, (Notre Dame theology professor and rector of St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend), is looking forward to conversing “with the participants in my little talk about… the intimacy and vulnerability of married love.”  He will be speaking on the “nuptial nature of the spiritual life” on Saturday afternoon from 3:15-4:15.

As Msgr. Heintz’s topic exhibits, the conference has much to offer to both women and men. Lisa Cotter is a well-known speaker who works for FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, who was also a keynote presenter at the SEEK conference in Orlando in January.  During the Edith Stein Project, she will be giving a talk entitled “Why Women Do That.”  What man could not use a little enlightenment in that arena?

According to the idND website, “there are many paradoxes in our quest for beauty- we want to be attractive, but not vain; we want to be secure in our natural appearance, yet we constantly try to reconcile ourselves with societal standards.”  This statement rings true for men and women alike.

Junior Timothy Kirchoff attended the past two conferences, entitled “Irreplaceable You: Vocation, Identity and the Pursuit of Happiness” and “Encountering Vulnerability: Courage, Hope, and Trust in the 21st Century.”  He also served as the bridge between the Notre Dame Knights of Columbus and the Edith Stein Project planning committee.  Of his experiences with the project, Kirchoff said, “there are always a number of excellent ‘gender-neutral’ presentations as well as a number of highly engaging presentations specifically for men.”

Furthermore, because the mission of the Edith Stein Project primarily involves the dignity of women, it is especially relevant to men.  Through his participation in the conference, he realized that human dignity is not an abstraction but a call to action on behalf of all his brothers and sisters. Kirchoff said he came to see his responsibility as a man as “putting my time and talents at the disposal of others- not by waiting for opportunity to come to me, but by keeping my eyes open for people and situations that I might be able to help.”  He went on to express gratitude for his “deeply concerned” peers who work so hard to make the conference relevant to all the participants.

At its heart, the project aims to unite men and women, conservative and liberal, religious and nonreligious, in the examination of what it means to be human.  Sophomore Advertising Committee member Carolyn Perez said, “The Edith Stein Project isn’t only for women or scholars or Catholics.  It’s an opportunity for anyone to engage in a conversation about beauty.” In fact, the project’s panel presenters include male students who have submitted essays on the “philosophy of mystical beauty.”  Their original work will be featured on the morning of the second day of the conference.

Participation at the conference in recent years has ranged from 200 to 300 participants, including participants from around the country.  Conference organizers anticipate a similar attendance this year.  But will Notre Dame students attend?

Sophomore Jordan Russell, Advertising Committee Member, certainly hopes so.  She believes the broad range of topics concerning beauty will reach the hearts of a diverse audience, “help[ing] us all grow to become more authentic men and women.”

Fr. Miscamble said that the Edith Stein Project “is always stimulating and provocative,” and that he urges “all Notre Dame undergraduates to attend the conference and to engage the speakers.”

Stultz knows how busy college life can be.  As a dedicated student-athlete, volunteer, and daily Mass-attendee, she understands that time is a student’s most valuable resource.  Her advice to anyone considering attending the Edith Stein Project next weekend is simply this: “Whatever talks you can make it to will be so worthwhile.”

Visit the McKenna Conference Center website to register (free for ND/SMC/HCC students, staff, and faculty). Registration optional but encouraged.  Registered participants will receive a free copy of Helen Alvaré’s Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves courtesy of Our Sunday Visitor.

Becca Self is an English and Business major in the First Year of Studies.  She loves reading poetry in her spare time, as long as she didn’t write it.  Please send her some material for a rainy day at rself@nd.edu.