Titus Day is celebrated on the date of his canonisation in 2022, which took place on May 15 that year. A high-level university delegation traveled to Rome at the time to witness the celebration of its former professor and rector. Carmelite Father Titus Brandsma was murdered in the Dachau concentration camp in 1942 due to his resistance activities. There was already a statue on campus to commemorate him, and now with the commission of a new stained-glass-style church window, his memory is given even more prominence. This year’s unveiling marks the launch of an annual Titus Day on campus, held around May 15 each year.
"Titus teaches that it’s okay to slow down"
With the unveiling of a glass artwork in the Student Church, Radboud University is adding significance to the celebration of Titus Day, on May 15. Student pastor Jos Geelen, one of the initiators, says: “Titus brings the distant God close.”
The new church window was designed by Eric Sloot, a designer from 's-Hertogenbosch, and was made possible in part by a major contribution from the Radboud Student Fund. Jos Geelen (see photo) wants to reflect with students at the window in the run-up to Titus Day every year. “We already did that this year by involving students closely in the design. Over the past few months, we read several of Titus’s works together.”
Titus as a connector
With the new window, the Student Church achieves two goals at once, Geelen explains. “The memory and legacy of Titus still live on among students and staff, and in this way, we can also draw renewed attention to the Student Church. As part of the campus, which consists of many little islands, Titus helps us connect with each other.”
Geelen invites lecturers and student associations to explore deeper meanings with Titus around the window. Much thought went into the symbolism the window should express. Ultimately, a variety of symbols were chosen that reflect Titus’s life and work. At the center of the ten symbols is Titus himself, wearing his habit. “And not his professor’s gown,” Geelen emphasises. “We’re highlighting the faithful Titus, who fully embraced Carmelite spirituality. We follow his principle of making the distant God present in our lives.”
A lesson in stillness
What does Titus have to say to students today? Geelen mentions the importance of stillness. “The close God is one who grew with humanity, from a baby to an adult: even God took all the time in the world, as the Modern Devotion teaches us - something Titus was a ‘specialist’ in. That’s an important and timely message for students today, who are under pressure to perform. It’s okay to take things a bit slower.”
Geelen points to the rosary, one of the symbols on the window, and recalls Titus’s death at the hands of a nurse in Dachau who had to administer the fatal injection. “The woman was distraught at having to do it. Titus gave her his rosary, to literally encourage his own killer. She later testified to this after the war, in gratitude.” What this teaches, says Geelen, is that every gesture, no matter how powerless it may seem, can have meaning. “In the short term, that may not be clear, but there’s always a chance that something you do will resonate with others in the long term. That gives hope for our actions.”
The glass artwork will be unveiled on 14 May 2025, at 4.00 pm by Alexandra van Huffelen, chair of the executive board. During the Dies Natalis (on 15 May 2025), there will be multiple moments of reflection on Titus.
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