Maximilian Kolbe: Martyr of Charity

Today is the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a priest and martyr. Maximilian had a remarkable devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his story is incredibly inspiring. He is the patron saint of the family, journalists and media communications, people with drug addiction, and the pro-life movement. As a young boy, the Mother of God appeared to him. She offered him a white crown (chastity) and a red crown (martyrdom). Maximilian chose both and entered with the Conventual Franciscans when he was 16.

He founded the Militia Immaculata (Army of the Immaculate One), an international evangelization movement. The movement was meant to promote and deepen devotion to Mary, who leads us to her son: “Through the Immaculata to Jesus.”

Maximilian also intended the prayers of the Militia Immaculata to convert sinners through Mary’s intercession. Additionally, Maximilian started publishing a magazine called Knight of the Immaculata, which was an extremely successful endeavor.

(We have a Militia Immaculata group here at Notre Dame! Please feel free to contact Pat at 303-825-8816 for more information and if you’re interested in joining. They pray the rosary together and discuss the writings of Maximilian Kolbe.)

During WWII Maximilian was imprisoned and died in Auschwitz in 1941. If you visit Auschwitz, you can see the cell where Maximilian Kolbe died.

Franciszek Gajowniczek, a fellow prisoner of Maximilian, was condemned to death as retaliation for an escaped prisoner. Maximilian was standing next to Franciszek when he was sentenced by the Germans to death. He heard Franciszek speak of his wife and children. Then, spontaneously, Maximilian volunteered in his place. Franciszek ended up living until the age of 93.

Because of this, St. John Paul II called Maximilian a “martyr of charity” when canonizing him in 1982. Maximilian spent 2 weeks in a cell until he was given a lethal injection. During those 2 weeks, Maximilian devoted himself to serving prisoners who were dying with him from dehydration and starvation and led prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To learn more about Maximilian Kolbe, I would highly recommend watching Ocean of Mercy on Formed. This documentary also features the story of mercy in the lives of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” (John 15:13).