Maximilian Kolbe

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, born as Raymund Kolbe on January 8, 1894, in Zduńska Wola, which was then part of the Russian Empire, is venerated in the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, and Lutheran Church. He was a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe is best known for his act of supreme sacrifice during World War II. He volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland. His selfless act of charity led to his death on August 14, 1941.

He was beatified on October 17, 1971, by Pope Paul VI and canonized on October 10, 1982, by Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II declared him a martyr of charity¹ and "the patron of our difficult century". His feast day is celebrated on August 14, the day of his martyrdom.

In 1906, young Kolbe had a vision of the Virgin Mary in which she offered him a white crown and a red crown and asked which he would accept. Understanding the white to represent a life of purity and the red to represent martyrdom, he said he would accept them both. This vision deeply affected him, and the following year he and his elder brother joined the Franciscan Conventuals.

In 1912, he went to Rome, where he studied theology and philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1917, he founded the sodality (i.e., devotional association) of the Militia of Mary Immaculate, thus making a significant contribution to the international Marian movement. In 1918, he was ordained a priest.

Returning to Poland, he established the popular Roman Catholic periodical Rycerz Niepokalanej (“The Knight of Mary Immaculate”) and in 1927 founded the City of Mary Immaculate (Niepokalanów), a religious center, that eventually attracted some 700 friars and workers. A fervent devotee of the Virgin Mary, he later founded sister institutions in Japan and India.

Upon his return to Poland, Kolbe became superior of the City of Mary Immaculate and director of Poland’s chief Catholic publishing complex. In 1938, the center started its own radio station. He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1939 for his anti-Nazism but was later released. He and the remaining brothers used the center to shelter an estimated 2,000–3,000 Polish refugees, the majority of whom were Jewish, and continued to publish anti-Nazi publications.

He was again arrested in February 1941 on charges of aiding Jews and the Polish underground. He was imprisoned at Warsaw and then shipped to Auschwitz. There he continued his priestly ministry, including hearing confessions and holding mass with smuggled bread, for which he was subjected to beatings by the guards.

In Auschwitz, he volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek, who cried out, "My wife! My children!"². Kolbe argued he was a Catholic priest and older than Gajowniczek, 41. The deputy commander accepted the offer. Kolbe and others were locked up in the "starvation bunker" without food and water. After they had been starved and deprived of water for two weeks, only Kolbe remained alive. The prison authorities, who wanted the bunker emptied, made short work of Kolbe on August 14, 1941, with a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Kolbe is said to have raised his left arm and calmly waited for the injection.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe's life and martyrdom are a testament to the power of selfless love and the strength of the human spirit. His story continues to inspire millions around the world. Today, we remember and honor his sacrifice. May his example continue to guide us in our daily lives.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe is also known as the patron saint of amateur radio operators, drug addicts, political prisoners, families, journalists, and prisoners. He founded and supervised the monastery of Niepokalanów near Warsaw, operated an amateur-radio station (SP3RN), and founded or ran several other organizations and publications.

His life and martyrdom are a testament to the power of selfless love and the strength of the human spirit. His story continues to inspire millions around the world. Today, we remember and honor his sacrifice. May his example continue to guide us in our daily lives.

(1) Saint Maksymilian Maria Kolbe | Biography, Facts, & Death. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Maksymilian-Maria-Kolbe.

(2) St. Maximilian Kolbe: martyr of supreme sacrifice of life. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2021-08/saint-maximilian-kolbe-martyr-august14-1941-80-years.html.

(3) Maximilian Kolbe - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe.

(4) St. Maximilian Kolbe: Martyr of Auschwitz | Franciscan Media. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/st-maximilian-kolbe-martyr-of-auschwitz/.

(5) Saint Maksymilian Maria Kolbe | Biography, Facts, & Death. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Maksymilian-Maria-Kolbe.

(6) Saint Maximilian Kolbe - Catholic News Agency. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-maximillian-kolbe-560.

(7) Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/maximilian-kolbe-sculpted-by-andrew-tanser-one-of-ten-new-news-photo/830038334.