To celebrate the centenary of birth of Etty Hillesum (1914-2014), the sisters of the Pauline Multimedia Center, Via Mascherino, Rome organized a meeting to reflect on the book, Etty Hillesum: Humanity Rooted in God, written by Fr. Michael David Semeraro, OSB, and published by FSP Editions, Italy.
Unlike other biographies of this many-sided woman, Fr. Semeraro holds her up as a model of the spiritual life to the new generations due to her pressing invitation to seek God in one’s own life, beginning with more profound self-knowledge. I
n the book’s Introduction, the author writes: “Etty Hillesum shows us how to transform history by profoundly and radically transforming our own lives. This book does not reveal anything new or startling about Etty, her life and destiny. Instead it strives to create a climate in which one can listen to her afresh, like gathering around the fireplace to listen to well-loved stories. Each time we hear these familiar words, we find something new and heartening in them.”