Nature and Nurture

If nature and nurture determine one’s personality, I was predestined to become a Carmelite. Brought up with Carmelite friends of my parents in a Carmelite parish and at a Carmelite school, all of which stands for my upbringing and significant others in my childhood, my nurturing. There was no escape. Consequently, in 2001, I became a member of the Carmelite family as a Third Order Carmelite: my ‘genetic print,’ my nature.

Father Titus and My Hometown

It all started in Oss, a small industrial town in the southern Dutch province of Brabant. I was born in 1957 in Oss. From 1909 till 1923 Father Titus lived in Oss in a Carmelite monastery and taught philosophy. He founded a secondary school, the Carmel College, where I studied for 8 years. A statue of Father Titus stood prominently in front of the college.

So there I was in Oss, 15 years after father Titus Brandsma was murdered in Dachau. We both have this connection with that small town called Oss. I grew up there. The old and new Carmelite monastery were a daily fact of life, a part of life, my family’s life, as well as the old and new friar’s church, the cemetery, and the schools.

Father Galema, who I knew as one of the Carmelite teachers at my college, was buried next to my sister Marike. She unfortunately passed away in 1978 after a long struggle with cancer at the age of 18 years. The local Carmelite community and Father Falco Thuis, the prior general from 1971-1983, were of great consolation for my parents who had just lost a child. Marike was a faithful young woman.

Facing death, she was full of hope and resigned herself to her destiny, believing she would be with God, with Jesus. My sister Marike gave me a spiritual boost at the time. Now, when I read his poem, she reminds me of Father Titus and how he suffered and kept his faith, experiencing Jesus as his good and close friend.

 “Sweet Jesus, I in Thee and Thou In me shall never part……No grief shall fall my way but I Shall see thy grief-filled eyes; The lonely way that Thou once walked Has made me sorrow-wise.”

A Call

Together with my brothers and sisters I grew up in a Catholic family with loving and caring parents. Our mother made our house a home, warm and secure. Our father, who was a lawyer and later in life a judge at a Criminal Court, taught us about solidarity with the less fortunate and about justice and righteousness as the essence of our faith.

“Many and varied are the ways in which our saintly forefathers laid down how everyone, whatever his station or the kind of religious observance he has chosen, should live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ — how, pure in heart and stout in conscience, he must be unswerving in the service of his Master.”

As a teenager, my dream was to become a priest and a missionary to live and work in Africa. I soon discovered celibacy was not my call. Instead of the seminary and monastery, I choose the university in Amsterdam and became a medical doctor. I married my Marlène and we moved to The Hague. We were both with busy jobs in a busy city with a busy family life. We hungered for silence, prayer and community.

During the early years of our marriage, Father Jos Boermans, also one of my former teachers at the Titus Brandsma college, has been a great support and inspiration for Marlène and myself developing our mutual Carmelite marital spirituality. In our correspondence and meetings, we teasingly referred to him as brother B. as in the first chapter of the Rule of Saint Albert.

“Albert, called by God’s favour to be Patriarch of the Church of Jerusalem, bids health in the Lord and the blessing of the Holy Spirit to his beloved sons in Christ, B. and the other hermits under obedience to him, who live near the spring on Mount Carmel.”

Catholic values, such as human dignity, solidarity, and service in the community for the common good, defined Father Titus’ life. In my own spiritual development, I realized more and more that the same values defined my life, in my choices as a medical doctor as well as my activities in the Church. Therefore, I decided (actually my wife came up with the idea) to start the diaconate formation program and was ordained as a deacon in 1995. In the diocese people joked: “Did God call Paul? We thought it was Marlène.”

“What makes society enjoyable, rather than organised rights and duties, are patience, mutual tolerance and mercifulness. In short: love.”

My Daily Focus and Inspiration

When choosing a password one tends to include a personal reference. For me a password helps me to focus whatever activity I perform. My many digital passwords for computer, apps, social media, websites, work related domains, and God knows what else, all of which are too complicated to remember properly, include a reference to Father Titus.

“Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch at his prayer unless attending to some other duty.”

City of International Justice and Peace

During my study of medicine, my wife and I moved to The Hague, the city where the International Court of Justice for arbitrage in conflicts between countries (the Peace Palace) is located.

“The Nazi movement is regarded by the Dutch people not only as an insult to God in relation to his creatures, but a violation of the glorious traditions of the Dutch nation. God bless the Netherlands. God bless Germany. May God grant that both nations will soon be standing side by side in full peace and harmony.”

At the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War, individuals were tried for crimes of conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In the 1990s the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was erected under the auspices of the United Nation’s Security Council.

At that time, I just started my medical practice as a general practitioner. With only a few patients my income was not sufficient to cover all expenses created by life in the city and a young family. Looking for a job to earn some extra money on the side, I began working as a prison doctor at the Scheveningen prison. In the early years I worked in the detention unit were Father Titus Brandsma had been held prisoner by the Nazis. A nickname for this prison during the Second World War was “the Orange Hotel” a reference to it as the prison of the resistance fighters in support of the Oranje, the Dutch royal house. During my rounds to visit detainees, I often passed the original “death” cell in which Father Titus must have stayed and wrote his poem.

During lock-up time I managed to visit the original death cell a few times. The most memorable visit was with Carmelite Father Constant Dölle [ed note: author of Encountering God in the Abyss, who met Fr. Titus when his family hosted Brandsma on several occasions at their home.] and a few other Carmelites. Later in life, Father Constant became seriously visually impaired. I took him by the hand and described to him the images I saw and red the texts on the wall. Thereafter, I brought his hand towards the subjects, he touched them and told me how he recognized Father Titus’ descriptions of his cell. Father Constant also spoke about the phrases carved into the walls such as “God is faithful” and “Stay courageous.”

Not in my wildest dreams could I have guessed that years later I would work for several International Criminal Tribunals as a fully trained penitentiary physician. Individuals, detained and accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, are my patients. To be able to perform my duty as their doctor I have to set aside my knowledge about the accusations, their violence, and the victims. First of all “innocent until proven guilty” but more importantly is what Father Titus taught me:

God is present, hidden, in every human being and in all of creation. Every moment God creates everything that is, out of nothing. All is in God and God is in all.

And “Evil and unjust are temporarily. Finally, good wins through good choices and deeds by inspired people.”

In Summary

Walking my path in life, Father Titus Brandsma has always walked beside me. There were times I was not aware of his presence – like the disciples heading to Emmaus – although his influence and the presence of the Carmelite community moulded and sculpted my spirituality and my choices; At other times, and definitely later in life, Father Titus and the whole Carmelite community supported me in coming to recognize God’s face and how to stand before God.

“Search God in the depth of our own existence; resign in silence and peace… God, the Source, will approach us in ordinary things; We only need to open ourselves….. We only need to do ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way.

About the Author:

Paulus Falke is a medical doctor, a deacon of the Catholic Church, and a member of the Third Order of the Dutch Province of the Carmelite Order. He and his wife Marlene have four biological children: Marike (Maria), Guus (Gus), Sarah, and Zwaan (Swanny) and 5 “foster children” whom they looked after and are still in contact with: Monica, Max, Marilyn, Jamie and Sonja. The couple founded Saint Jacob’s Hospice for terminal ill patients in 1995. The hospice, located in The Hague, has the motto: “Every life is worth living, how vulnerable or disabled it may be.” In the Holy year 2000, two television documentaries were made about the family. One focused on Falke’s work as a family doctor and deacon. It was titled “Doctor Amongst the Poor.” The second told the story of the family—how they as parents were raising the children in a inner city are with many social problems and how faith was an essential part of their lives.

During the Chapter of the General Commissariat of S. Maria "La Bruna," Italy, held on March 28-30, the following were elected:

Comisario General | Commissary General | Commissario Generale: 
P. Alfredo Di Cerbo, O. Carm.

1er Consejero | 1^st Councilor | 1° Consigliere: 
P. Luciano Di Cerbo, O. Carm.

2do Consejero | 2^nd Councilor | 2° Consigliere: 
P. Dominic Somola, O. Carm.

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Professio Temporanea
16-01-22  Roberto Isidro, Tejerina Valdez (Mel-B) Tarija, Bolivia

Professio Solemnis
19-03-22  Oreste Maria Manzi (Ital) Roma, Italia

Ordinatio Diaconalis
17-03-22  Joseph Long Bui (SEL-V) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
26-02-22  Douglas Rafael Mendivil Martelo (Ital-C) Cartegena, Colombia
26-02-22  Lizwaun Martinez Guerra (Ital-C) Cartegena, Colombia
17-03-22  Joseph Thinh Tran (SEL-V) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
17-03-22  James Thien Tran (SEL-V) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hma. Tatti M. Francesca Letizia (SAR)
24-01-22
Ortus: 09-10-32
P. Temp.: 27-12-58
P. Soll.: 04-02-62

Br. Michael Rapinett (Mel)
22-02-22
Ortus: 28-01-50
P. Temp.: 08-11-67
P. Soll.: 18-03-72

Br. Laurence Frost (Brit)
24-02-22
Ortus: 28-04-41
P. Temp.: 12-02-62
P. Soll.: 12-02-65

P. David Blanchard (PCM)
27-02-22
Ortus: 01-12-50
P. Temp.: 18-06-84
P. Soll.: 12-06-87
Ord.: 19-12-87

P. Johann Sebald (Ger)
28-02-22
Ortus: 09-10-40
P. Temp.: 29-09-62
P. Soll.: 29-09-65
Ord.: 29-06-67

P. Yohanes don Bosco Djawa (Indo)
01-03-22
Ortus: 17-02-72
P. Temp.: 14-08-94
P. Soll.: 15-08-99
Ord.: 01-10-00

P. Rafael De Luque Moreno (Baet)
01-03-22
Ortus: 17-05-28
P. Temp.: 11-11-45
P. Soll.: 25-05-49
Ord.: 29-03-52

Gna. M. Eloisa Bori i Vivas (BAR)
05-03-22
Ortus: 02-10-24
P. Temp.: 11-04-48
P. Soll.: 15-04-51

The VIII Assembly of the Mater et Decor Carmeli Federation took place from March 5-9, 2022, in the Monastery of the Sacred Heart and of Blessed Titus Brandsma. The monastery is in Córdoba, Spain.

These were days of prayer and discernment in which the sisters who participated were able to deepen their understanding of the reality of living in a Federation, based on the documents of the Church and in communion with the synodal desire to walk together in communion, participation, and mission.

Those elected to the Federal Council are the following:

President | Presidente | Presidente:  
Sor María Dolores Domínguez Pérez, O. Carm.

1st Councilor  | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Sor Elena María López Font, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera  | 2ª Consigliera: 
Sor María del Carmen del Toro Medina, O. Carm.

3rd Councilor | 3ª Consejera  | 3ª Consigliera:
Sor María Teresa Molina Sánchez, O. Carm.

4th Councilor | 4ª Consejera  | 4ª Consigliera:
Sor Reinhild Maschke, O. Carm.

Treasurer | Ecónoma  | Economa: 
Sor Reinhild Maschke, O. Carm.

Titus Brandsma left many writings, either in the form of books, articles or letters, but he never wrote about his teachings on fraternity. In spite of that, he lived a fraternal life. We can learn how he valued fraternity from his life journey. For Titus, love is the foundation of fraternity. Fraternity is impossible without love. Titus' love for others grew from his close relationship with God. Titus realized that God loved him and that he loved God. This experience of love with God made Titus love his fellow human beings. When dealing with others, Titus realized that his main task was to love them. Titus lived the second Law of Love, namely: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Titus believed that God was present in his fellow human beings. To love and serve them means to love and serve Jesus. His love is also shown in the form of generosity. Titus always told his brothers and sisters in the Order to share with those in need. He warned them not to be stingy in giving food and money to the poor, because they had the right to the food and money. He urged the brothers and the sister to live on charity. For him, the poor are God's friends. In order for us to be friends of God, we must be friends to his friends.

Titus's fraternity is not limited to certain circles or to his own group (ad intra) but penetrates group boundaries (ad extra). He never discriminated against people because of their religion, ethnicity, race, class, or nationality. Titus made friends with people regardless of their background. Titus also fought for equal rights for his neighbors regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion, and social class. True fraternity always transcends the boundaries of fit and unsuitability. True fraternity does not look at whether someone has the same views or backgrounds.

Fraternity for Titus not only includes being together in physical terms, although that is also important, but also being together in spiritual terms. Being together in the presence of God is no less important than doing something together and working together. Titus also paid attention to the spiritual development of his brothers. When Titus heard that there was a nursing home for the elderly people that needed a priest to celebrate the weekly mass, but was unable to provide the stipends, he asked permission from his prior to give them spiritual services. Likewise, when Titus was imprisoned by the Nazis, Titus always tried to provide spiritual service to other prisoners.

One of the shelters run by the Indonesian Carmelite NGO is dedicated to Titus Brandsma. The shelter was blessed on April 18, 2018. It is located in one of the slum areas in Malang. This shelter functions as a shelter for homeless poor people. These unfortunate people are taken care with love by the volunteers. Any person, regardless their religious background, ethnicity and affiliation, may live in the shelter but, of course, it depends on bed availability. The requirements to be accepted in those houses are that they are really poor and have nobody to takes care of them.

The shelter also functions as an informal school for children from poor families to develop their knowledge. Students with different religious backgrounds participate actively in this school. The subjects offered by this informal school are the usual subjects (mathematics, English, and general knowledge). The difference between this informal school and formal schools is the process of teaching is founded on love. Students are accepted as they are, with their strengths and weaknesses. Each student is taken care of without any judgement being made. Their competence is developed individually since we believe that every child is created uniquely. The students are happy to study here because they are respected as individuals. Thanks to God, most of the students studying in this informal will be successful when they go to a formal school. Moreover, this informal school offers character building and the Christian value of love. Students are invited to respect themselves, be open to others, accept differences and love their neighbors without knowing their backgrounds. Finally, this informal school also offers performance and creativity classes. The students are encouraged to develop themselves and to be independent.    

There are some other done by the volunteers together with the local people. They cook together and share the meal with people living on the streets and poor people in the area. On certain occasion they cooperate with donors to get daily needs and then share them with the poor families who are affected by the Covid 19 pandemic.   

Many people with different backgrounds love to come to that place since they may experience the love shared by the volunteers, the patients, the teachers and the students. Students from Islamic university in Malang often come to visit the patients and the students. They also become volunteers in some of the programs. The spirit of fraternity of Titus Brandsma really fills the atmosphere of this shelter. This place becomes a meeting place for people to celebrate fraternity.

Below are some pictures of the activities done in the Titus Brandsma Shelter, Malang. 

The Carmelite NGO in Indonesia established Mercy House — dedicated to Blessed Titus Brandsma — in Malang in April 2018 to serve the elderly and children from families of all faiths. The elderly are provided a dignified place to live with food and care. The children are provided education and enrichment. It is a living example of Blessed Titus’ words “He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come in conflict with it."

You can see a short video on the Indonesian Mercy House Dedicated to Blessed Titus Brandsma below.

* Fr. Hariwan Adji, O. Carm., the author of this article, is the current prior provincial of the Indonesian Province of the Carmelite Order. He is a member of the Carmelite NGO and chair of the Indonesian Carmelite NGO. He holds a doctorate and is a lecturer on the Faculty of Humanities at Airlangga State University.

New Prior Provincial and Councilors of the German Province

The Prior General has confirmed the recent elections of the Prior Provincial and the Councilors of the German Province.

The following were elected:

Prior Provincial | Prior Provincial | Priore Provinciale: 
P. Klaus Rudolf Schenkelberger, O. Carm.

1er Consejero | 1^st Councilor | 1° Consigliere: 
P. Peter Schröder, O. Carm.

2do Consejero | 2^nd Councilor | 2° Consigliere: 
P. Michael Plattig, O. Carm.

3er Consejero | 3^rd Councilor | 3° Consigliere: 
P. Ludwig Eifler, O. Carm.

4to Consejero | 4^th Councilor | 4° Consigliere: 
Fr. Andreas H. Scholten, O. Carm.

The Carmelite General Curia in Rome welcomed the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, for dinner on March 23, 2022.

The Cardinal is friends with Fr. Luis Maza Subero, the General Councilor for the Americas, from his time as Papal Nuncio in Venezuela.

The forgiving father
(Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)

This Sunday’s Gospel is a parable of lavish and unexpected forgiveness and reconciliation. It is one of three parables in which God’s mercy breaks through all human and religious restrictions about how God should act toward sinners.

A wealthy father has two sons. Very cheekily, the younger son asks for his share of the estate which would come to him on his father’s death. This is a young man who has places to go and things to see!

Remarkably, the father gives him half of his estate, not the one-third to which the son was entitled.

No wonder the older son is put out. The younger son goes off and has a great time until the money runs out. Financially ruined he has to earn his keep feeding pigs. He decides to return home, beg forgiveness and ask to be only a servant in his father’s household.

The father is anxiously waiting for the son when he returns. He runs to embrace him. The son begins his confession, but the father takes no notice. He does not chastise or lecture. He refuses to treat

his son as a servant and immediately sets about restoring him to his rightful place in the household with the ring, the robe and sandals. He orders a feast to celebrate the fact that his son is alive and has returned. No wonder the older son is angry and resentful. But the father sets about reassuring him that his place in the household and in the father’s affection is secure and urging him to be reconciled with his brother. We are left wondering about what eventually happened.

The Gospel offers not just the hope of God’s forgiveness but the certainty of it.

The message today is: Rejoice in God’s abiding mercy!

Quiet time for reflection

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