Mother Maria Skobtsova

Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891-1945) has emerged as one of the most fascinating religious figures of the twentieth century. As an Orthodox nun in Paris her home was at once a soup kitchen for the needy, a center for the renewal of Orthodox thought, and–under Nazi occupation–a haven for the rescue of Jews. For the latter cause she ended her life in a concentration camp. Like the Catholic Dorothy Day, her writings reflect her deep commitment to the gospel mandate that unites love of God and love of neighbor.