"This is a fine piece of scholarship, thoroughly researched and lucidly written. But it is more than that: it is a cri de coeur ? impassioned and compelling, a contribution on many levels."?Most Rev. Mark Coleridge, Emeritus Archbishop of Brisbane "An unwavering Catholic journalist, Titus Brandsma, O.Carm., refused to publish Nazi propaganda and was arrested. In this meticulously documented volume, Paul Chandler describes the traumas that Brandsma endured at the hands of the Nazis, including the little-known sexual abuse he suffered. With his gripping writing style, Chandler reports the witness testimony regarding Brandsma?s conduct in the face of such mistreatment, including Brandsma?s own dark night as his transfer to Dachau grew near.

This volume is a must read for Christians and especially Carmelites. I couldn?t put it down."?Craig Morrison, O.Carm,, Chair of Carmelite Studies, The Catholic University of America "Paul Chandler offers a deeply researched and unflinching portrait of Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite friar who resisted Nazism with spiritual integrity and intellectual courage. Chandler pays particular attention to Brandsma?s final month in Dachau, including the often overlooked realities of suffering, vulnerability, and dignity under extreme conditions. This study invites reflection on how sanctity can be revealed not through triumph, but through faithfulness in the face of powerlessness. I was especially moved by Chandler?s insistence on telling the full truth of Brandsma?s martyrdom, including its sexual dimension, and particularly its powerful challenge to the Church?s long tradition of linking sanctity to resistance rather than accepting that, as Chandler puts it, 'The tragic reality is that most victims of sexual abuse cannot resist, they are simply overpowered. They have to find a different strength.

'"?Cristina Mazzoni, University of Vermont.