Carmelite Students in Initial Formation, from twenty-five countries around the world, gathered in the Netherlands and Germany to find inspiration and learn from the life of Bl. Titus Brandsma. The course took place in Nijmegen - Mainz - Dachau, from the 22nd of July to the 3rd of August 2018. The theme was Bl. Titus Brandsma as a Carmelite, Academic, Journalist and Martyr “Contemplation as the Dynamic Element that Unifies them All” (RIVC #28).

The course was planned and organized by the General Formation Commission: Frs. Benny Phang, Noel Rosas and Quinn Conners; in collaboration with the local organizers: Hettie Berflo and Sanny Bruijns from the Dutch Province and Br. Andreas Scholten from the German Province. Both provinces provided support to the course with the presence of the Priors Provincial, Frs. Jan Brouns and Peter Schröder, who offered great hospitality to the participants. The translations were aided by Frs. Raul Maravi and Nico Hofstede.

The students were guided and enriched by a series of presentations from Anne Marie Bos, Sanny Bruins and Fr. Kees Waaijman from the Dutch Province, Fr. Benny Phang, Fr. François Manga, Br. Andreas Scholten together with the Prior General Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, The participants were offered the opportunity to personally integrate the information through group discussions and reflection. Together with the talks, the participants made pilgrimages to important places connected with the life of Bl. Titus, including Megen, Boxmeer, Oss, Nijmegen, Mainz, and the concentration camps at Amersfoort, Netherlands, and Dachau, Germany.

They were very grateful for the opportunity to build up the international community of simple professed Carmelites.