Titus’ Presence Today

When we were growing up in the 60’d and 70’s, we were aware that our grandmother’s cousin Titus was a holy man. We knew of his history, as well as the strong Catholic heritage that we have comes from our father’s side of the family. Many of our relatives went into Catholic ministry.

The Cardinal Archbishop of Manila, Philippines, Jose Advincula challenged Catholics, especially the young people, to combat disinformation amid what he called “crisis of truth” in the country.

During a press conference organized by the Communications Office of the Carmelite Order for the canonization of Titus Brandsma, a Dutch journalist presented the prior general, Míceál O’Neill, a copy of a letter from Catholic Journalists to Pope Francis.

Father Titus lived in Oss from 1909 to 1923. All those years he taught philosophy to the brothers of the Order. But he always kept his eye on the world around him.– first on the City of Oss. Oss was a town with a growing industry.

Father Adriaan Staring, O. Carm., as postulator general of the Carmelite Order, was responsible for obtaining reliable and relevant documents to be used in the process of canonization of Titus Brandsma.

Is for me a sign that monastic life and work can reach far beyond its walls and that mysticism and knowledge (science) do not contradict each other but can cross-fertilize each other.

Marija Belošević is the current president of the Internazionale Union of Cattolica Esperantists (IKUE) which counted Fr. Titus Brandsma of Oss, Netherlands, among its early members.

As a junior high student at the Cathedral of St. Raymond’s in Joliet, Illinois I was given the opportunity to attend a journalism class at Joliet Catholic High School, run by the Carmelites.

Not for a minute would I dare to compare myself to Titus Brandsma, Carmelite, about to be canonized a Saint.

Titus Brandsma left many writings, either in the form of books, articles or letters, but he never wrote about his teachings on fraternity. In spite of that, he lived a fraternal life.

In 2018 I had the opportunity to attend the Carmelite formation course on Titus Brandsma in the Netherlands and Germany. Learning more about him made me realise that as an individual and the Order at large, we have a lot to learn from and imitate about Titus.

If nature and nurture determine one’s personality, I was predestined to become a Carmelite. Brought up with Carmelite friends of my parents in a Carmelite parish and at a Carmelite school, all of which stands for my upbringing and significant others in my childhood, my nurturing.

Rector Tom Brocks has been governing the former Carmel Lyceum in Oss, founded in 1922 by Titus Brandsma, since 2007. After WWII the school was renamed Titus Brandsma Lyceum. Titus’ ideas are alive and well here, permeating the school culture.

While we most often associate Fr. Titus interest in education with his work at the University of Nijmegen, he was also deeply involved in Roman Catholic secondary education. These schools were only beginning to take root in the Netherlands.