Saint Titus Brandsma

My name is Titus Brandsma. I was born in Netherlands in 1881 in a devoted Catholic family. We were six children. My parents encouraged us all to serve the Lord. Three of my four sisters became nuns, my brother became a Franciscan priest and I myself a Carmelite father. I taught theology at the Catholic University in The Netherlands for nearly 20 years. I also worked as a  journalist, author, university rector, and was considered a popular speaker. Early on I recognised the growing threat of the Nazi Party in Germany and warned against their lies about the Jewish people and other minority groups. God has an equal love for every human being. After the Germans invaded The Netherlands, their secret police kept an eye on me. They knew I spoke out strongly against the Nazi ideologies. In name of the Dutch bishops, I warned the Catholic press that they should not collaborate with the Nazis or print advertisement for their Dutch followers. I was arrested and sent to Dachau – a German concentration camp. It was the year 1942. I was forced to hard labour and was treated very badly. When I fell ill, I was administered a lethal injection.