St Maximilian Kolbe

1894-1941

“No one in the world can change truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it.”

St. Maximilian Kolbe was born in 1894 to a poor Polish family and was christened Raymond. In 1906 at age twelve he had a vision of the Blessed Mother that changed his life. He asked the Blessed Mother what was to become of him. She held up two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if he would accept either crown. The white meant he would persevere in purity and the red meant he would become a martyr. He said he would accept both of them.

 In September, 1910, he entered the Franciscan Order. The following year he made his first vows and took the name Maximilian. He studied theology and philosophy in Rome for the next seven years during which time he was stricken with tuberculosis which left him in frail health for the rest of his life. In 1918 he was ordained a priest. He returned to Poland to teach in the seminary at Crakow.

 In 1930 he went as a missionary to Japan and established a Franciscan house there that is still active today. In 1936 his poor health caused him to return to Poland. He and his Franciscan brothers housed many Polish refugees during WWII until he was arrested by the Nazis in February, 1941. In May, he was transferred to Auschwitz concentration camp.

 In July, 1941, there was an escape from the camp. Camp protocol required that ten men be killed in retribution for each escaped prisoner. Francis Gajowniczek, who was married with young children, was chosen to die for the escape. Maximilian volunteered to take his place and died as he had always wished—in service. He was only 47 years old. In 1971 he was beatified by Pope Paul VI and was canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

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