Shaped titanium oxide catalysts/carriers useful, e.g., for sulfur recovery via Claus catalysis, are prepared by (i) intimately admixing powdered, poorly crystalline and/or amorphous titanium oxide, said titanium oxide powder being characterized by a weight loss on ignition ranging from 1 to 50%, water and from 0 to about 15% by weight of a shaping additive, (ii) next shaping the intimate admixture which results, and (iii) thence, optionally after drying, calcining the product shaped article.