The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-02-04


1895, when he paid his first and
only visit to the United States,
that he delivered lecture on
"carmeliis Spirituality" at the
Catholic University of America
in Washington DC. His talk was
later anplified and published in
Chicago under the title Of "car-
melife Mysticism"
AT the time he visited the Unit
ed States, Father Titus was serv-
ing as rector of the Catholic Uni
versity of Nijmegen which he had
helped to found, and where he had
previously held the post of profes-
sor of philosophy and mysticism.
Baptized Ammo Sioerd, Father
Titus was born at Oeegekloster,
near Bolsward, in the almost
completely Protestant Province
of Frieslsnd, on February %,
1881. Frail and delicate, and des-
tined never to enjoy good health,
he nevertheless possessed a bril-
liant mind. After his ordination
at s'Hertogenbosch he was sent for
higher studies to Rome, where he
obtained the degree of doctor of
philosophy at the Pontifical Greg
orian University.
Father Titus had already won
recognition for his contributions
to the Catholic press when he was
named to the faculty of Nijmegen
shortly after its establishment in
1923. In 1895, he was appointed
spiritual director of the Catholic
Journalists Society, a post which
was fated to place him on the
nazi blacklist after German armies
had invaded his country in 1910.
On August Is, 1941. the Dutch
hierarchy issued a joint pastoral
condemning the teachings of naz-
ism, md copies were smuggled to
nearly every Catholic church in the
country. Confronted by the Bish-
ops fortnight condemnation of
their racial theories, the nazis
sought to counteract it by getting
Catholic newspapers to carry their
propaganda releases. II was at this
stage that Father Titus entered
the picture, acting under the in
struction of Cardinal de Jong.
Father Titus first had a meeting
with the German officials during
which he explained that 40 Catho-
lie newspaper could print material
that was contrary to the teachings
of the Church. On December 81,
1941, he sent q letter to Catholic
editors urging them to sign pledges
against publishing any type of ar
ticle favoring nazism.
"lf you still want your paper
10 be called q Catholic paper"
Father Titus wrote, Then this
sort Of article has 10 be refused,
no matter whaf the eonsequen-
ess nisy be for the paper. or
even for yourself. We cannot dc
otherwise. The limit hes been
reached We are not sure yet
II those responsible will resort
TO violence, but in ease they do,
remember that God speaks The
last word. and He rewards His
faithful servants"
On the following January 10,
Gestapo agents arrested Father
Titus. The next day he was remov-
ed to the prison at Scheveningen,
where he remained for six weeks
during which he was constantly
interrogated and finally ordered
sent to Dachau.
During his stay at Scheveningen,
Father Titus began writing a bios-
raphy of st. Teresa of Avila. He
was not able to finish the work
but il was eventually completed by
Father Brocard Meier, o. Carm.,
the present provincial of the Dutch
Carmelites.
Father Titus died at Dachau
within six months of his interment.
But his extraordinary charity and
unfailing good humor-msintsined
in spite of illness and brutal beat
ings--hsd already made him leg.
end among his fellow prisoners.
Many of them are praying today
for his canonization,
An increasing number of Dutch
Catholics have written letters ex.
pressing gratitude for favors attrib-
uted to his intercession. Among
them have been some remarkable
medical cures. One of the most
notable was that of Franz Borden,
an Amsterdam boy, whose recov-
cry after suffering a skull fracture
when a truck hit him confounded
doctors who had pronounced his