Oss, Netherlands Dedicated Monument to Long Time Resident St. Titus Brandsma

The city of Oss is closely linked to the figure of Tito Brandsma. He lived there after his return from Rome in 1909 until 1923, when he moved to Nijmegen to teach at the newly established Catholic University Nijmegen (now Radbound University).

It was in Oss that he edited the local newspaper (De Stad Oss) for several years, founded a school, and worked generously in the pastoral field. He has sometimes been called “de Friese Brabander” (“the Frisian from Brabant”), [Oss being located in the province of North Brabant] and was named an honorary citizen in a solemn ceremony at the Oss Town Hall in November 2015.

A few days ago, a new and unusual monument dedicated to Titus Brandsma was unveiled in Oss. It consists of three pairs of glasses placed in the center of the “Titus Brandsmaplein.” Each pair represents a different aspect of the Carmelites life: educator, journalist, and Carmelite.

The artists' idea (in addition to paying tribute to the multifaceted Carmelite) is to “look at the city through the lenses of Fr. Tito.”