Henk de Best (74) and Lidy Peters (70) from Boxmeer have admired the murdered Father Titus Brandsma for years. On Sunday their great hero, who spent years of his life in Boxmeer, will be officially canonized by the Pope. After years of fascination with the father, this is the icing on the cake for Henk and Lidy. “He is part of Boxmeer.”
Passionately, Henk de Best and his wife Annie walk around Rome. The two traveled together to the Italian capital for the canonization of Titus Brandsma, which will take place on Sunday at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
“We talked about him with great respect at our house.”
The admiration for Brandsma started for Henk in his youth. “He spent many years in the Carmelite Monastery in Boxmeer. At our home, he was always spoken of with great respect.”
What makes the father an idol for Henk is his patience. “When he was tortured in a prison in Dachau during the war, Titus was kind to his executioners and sought consultation. You can’t imagine that.”
“I thought Brandsma deserved a place in Boxmeer.”
That is why Henk has worked for many years to realize a monument in Boxmeer for Brandsma. “In many places in Brabant there are streets or squares named after Titus Brandsma. In Boxmeer there was none and I thought he deserved it.”
The monument was unveiled on the Titus Brandsmaplein in Boxmeer in 2020, which was a special moment for both Henk and the artist who designed it. “Artist Juul Baltussen from Westerbeek has completely immersed herself in Brandsma’s life and that can be read from the monument. He later called it the most beautiful project he made and that applies to me too.”
The long-awaited canonization of Sunday is also a special moment for Lidy Peters. Born and raised Boxmeerse has been living in Rome for thirty years. She works there for various media. She finds it special that other Boxmeer residents are now traveling to the Vatican for her idol.
“Titus was part of our life.”
“Titus Brandsma is part of Boxmeer and part of my life. We used to go to the emergency chapel in Nijmegen with the family to pray to Brandsma and then we got an ice cream. It was part of our life,” she says.
Before that and Brandsma is canonized, the people who have traveled to Rome are given a touristic tour of the city. And there the near-saint is the talk of the town. Lidy can’t stop talking about it either. “The memories of the past come back when we talk about him. Tomorrow will be an emotional and beautiful day.”
“A conclusion to the effort I’ve made for him.”
During the walk through Rome, Henk also realizes that what will happen on Sunday is special. “It has been 15 years since a Dutchman was canonized. For me, the canonization is a nice end to all the effort I have made to give Titus a place in Boxmeer.”
ALSO READ:
Titus Brandsma becomes saint because an American father was cured of cancer
Murdered Titus Brandsma a saint for many, now he becomes it for real