Today, we remember the Carmelite martyr Saint Titus Brandsma on his Feast.

He was born as Anno Sjoerd Brandsma in Bolsward (The Netherlands) in 1881, and joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking the name ‘Titus’, eventually being ordained a priest in 1905. In time he became a professor and then Rector Magnificus at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. He was also a journalist.

During the 1930s he gave a famous series of lectures in the United States on Carmelite mysticism. Throughout the 1930s Nazi propaganda was on the rise but Saint Titus refused to support or print anything in support of the Nazi regime.

Titus was arrested by the Gestapo on 19 January 1942, and imprisoned in his native country before being sent to the concentration camp at Dachau where he brought comfort and peace to his fellow prisoners. In Dachau he was experimented on in the medical wing and was finally put to death by lethal injection on 26 July, 1942.

We are proud that at the Shrine there is a beautiful icon to Saint Titus, read more.

• Read here

Read more about Titus:

• A Heart on Fire – a short booklet on the life and witness of Blessed Titus Brandsma, Carmelite Martyr (booklet)
• Icon of Titus at the Carmelite Shrine of Saint Jude
• Writings of Titus Brandsma (books):
  • These booklets are a series containing a lecture from the series given by Blessed Titus in America on Carmelite Mysticism.
    • "In the spirit and strength of Elias"
    • "The Hermits of Carmel"
    • "The Order flourishing in the Holy Land"
    • "A New Dawn – The Carmelite Nuns – Blessed John Soreth"
    • "St Teresa – the growth of the mystical life"
    • "The Marian Doctor Mysticus"
    • "New Blooming of the Old Stock"
    • "The Apostolate of Carmelite Mysticism"
• Silver medal of Titus (medal)

www.stjudeshrine.org.uk