Tito Brandsma (†1942)

Biography

He studied brilliantly, first in Holland and then in Rome, where he received a doctorate in philosophy. Returning to Holland, he devoted himself to all kinds of apostolates: he wrote books and articles in various magazines, taught classes inside and outside the convent, preached and organized courses and conferences, confessed and administered the sacraments. Everyone was amazed that he did everything, but above all, he was an observant religious, a soul of deep prayer, a fervent priest and a profoundly simple and humble man. He was co-founder of the Catholic University of Nijmegen and its rector. During the Nazi occupation, for defending the Church and human rights, he was arrested and imprisoned in several concentration camps. He suffered all kinds of humiliation and his death sentence with good spirit, giving an example of strength and excellent charity to his fellow captives, and even to his executioners, in the “hell” of Dachau, Germany.