July 26 Blessed Titus Brandsma

I was first drawn to the story of Titus because of his nickname – Shorty. I like the idea of a Father Shorty. Drawn in by the name, his story impressed me.

A Carmelite from the the Netherlands, Father Shorty spoke multiple  languages, taught philosophy at the Catholic University of the Netherlands and was editor of the local daily newspaper. He was a common sight around campus with cigar and jaunty walk. After becoming president of the university, he hit the lecture circuit, traveling extensively around Euruope. He was appointed ecclesiastical advisor to Catholic journalists in 1935.

Shortly after the appointment, Father Shorty made a speaking tour of the United States, speaking out against Nazi propaganda. In 1935 he wrote against anti-Jewish marriage laws, which brought him to the attention of the Nazis. He later wrote that no Catholic publication could publish Nazi propaganda and still call itself Catholic; this led to more attention. Continually followed by the Gestapo, the Nazi attention led to his arrest on 19 January 1942. For several weeks he was shuttled from jail to jail, abused, and punished for ministering to other prisoners.

Deported to the Dachau concentration camp in April 1942. There he was overworked, underfed, and beaten daily; he asked fellow prisoners to pray for the salvation of the guards. When he could no longer work, he was used for medical experiments. When he was no longer any use for experimentation, he was murdered.