Bl Titus Brandsma's Last Act of Evangelisation - with the Rosary


The website of the order of Carmelites has a brief life of Blessed Titus Brandsma with this detail from the end of his life:
The nurse, who administered the fatal injection in the “hospital” at Dachau, testified at his beatification process that he had given her his rosary at the end and said “What an unfortunate girl you are. I shall pray for you”. His response, the nurse said, was instrumental in bringing her back to the practice of her faith.
For a fuller account, see this pdf of the testimony of the nurse herself. The memoir fleshes out the story with details such as Blessed Titus' generosity in giving the nurse a couple of his (thin and poor) cigarettes, even though she was able to get good cigarettes herself. He defended his brother priests, some of whom had not made a good impression on the nurse.

His cheerfulness in suffering made a deep impression, as well as his charity to the other prisoners. Blessed Titus was already ill before being imprisoned, but spent the last days of his life caring for others through the spiritual works of mercy.

I consider him a worthy patron saint for bloggers and pray to him today, especially for all Catholics who are trying to use social media for evangelisation.


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