Diet Eman talks with Rev. Robert Sirico at Acton University

Acton University 2007 got underway last night with Rev. Robert A. Sirico’s traditional opening address, which was delivered with a major twist – the participation of Diet Eman, who joined Father Robert to describe her experiences as part of the Dutch Resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II.

Eman’s presence and perspectives added a very powerful element to what was already a very stirring address. You can listen to it by clicking here, and you may be interested in checking out some other perspectives on the night’s event as well:

Latino Leadership Circle: Tonight we watched a portion of the ing film, The Reckoning, the true life story of Deet Amon, a Dutch resistance fighter to Nazi regime in the 1940’s who risked her life saving Jews. In a moving moment, after watching a portion of this documentary film, Father Sirico presented Deet Amon who was present to share firsthand of her experiences and answer our questions. She shared of her experiences in a Nazi concentration camp (she was in the same camp that Corrie Ten Boom was in). When asked how she could risk her life she responded, “If you feel that God expects this of you, how can you do anything else? How could you look in the mirror and brush your teeth in the morning with so much going on and not do something? Life is full of choices.” At 87 years of age Deet says, “Each one of us have to give an account for what we do with our lives. I pray for Darfur everyday.” We were all inspired by her bravery, humility and spirituality.Fellow PowerBlogger John Armstrong: Diet, our Dutch guest, reminded us that this all began, while she was a very normal young woman in love with a very normal young man, because she “loved one person” enough to care and get involved in saving her life. Father Sirico then reminded us that every virtue begins somewhere, with some simple but virtuous single action, with some choice that we consciously make. The question we asked, as we left last evening, was quite simple: “Who is my neighbor and how do I express genuine virtue toward my neighbor?” This is where all true freedom and virtue begins, in knowing who we are and why we are here.Head over to Kruse Kronicle for a photo diary of day 1.