“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13
The life of St Maximilian Kolbe is a witness to these words of Jesus.
Born Rajmund Kolbe on January 8, 1894, in Zduńska Wola, Poland, he was a profoundly devout kid. He reportedly experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary at age 12, in which she held out to him two crowns: a white one and a red one. He was given to realize that the white crown represented purity and the red crown represented maryrdom. He accepted them both.
As he grew older, he joined the Conventual Franciscans in 1910, taking the name Maximilian, and was ordained a priest in 1918. He pursued academic excellence, earning doctorates in both philosophy and theology.
Devotion to Mary: A Sure Path to Jesus in the Eucharist
He developed a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and saw her as the greatest path to bring souls to Jesus Christ. In order to spread devotion to her, in 1917 he founded the Militia Immaculata (Army of the Immaculate One). This movement dedicated itself to promoting devotion to the Virgin Mary and countering the influence of secular ideologies like communism.
In 1927 he founded a religious congregation in Teresin, Poland called Niepokalanóws, or “City of the Immaculate Mother of God.” It is still in existence today, and is, in their words:
“consecrated totally to the Immaculate and to her cause, above all honor the Eucharist, live by the Eucharist, find in the Eucharist the principal source for their apostolate, and hope to unite the whole world as one family about the standard of the Eucharist and Mary. This ideal is pursued by the entire Militia of the Immaculate (MI). Every knight knows that in this way he imitates his founder, Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, that great devotee of the Eucharist. In him—by reason of his total consecration to the Mother of Jesus—”the love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament touched his pious heart at its very roots.”
They eventually established a publishing house, producing religious periodicals that reached a wide audience. Kolbe’s efforts expanded internationally; in 1930, he traveled to Japan, where he founded a monastery near Nagasaki and launched a Japanese edition of his magazine. Despite facing significant challenges, Kolbe’s work in Japan flourished, contributing to the spread of Catholicism in the region.
Kolbe returned to Poland in 1936 due to ill health and continued his publishing and missionary work.
Outbreak of World War 2
However, his activities were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent Nazi occupation of Poland.
Not phased in the face of the evil posed by the Nazi regime, worked to shelter refugees, including Jews. Eventually, Kolbe was arrested by the Gestapo in 1941 and was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp.
It was here where his Eucharistic life shone with a greater brilliance. He continued his pastoral work, offering the Sacraments when possible and spiritual support to fellow prisoners.
Kolbe’s Final Act: A Eucharistic Self-Sacrifice
In July 1941, three prisoners appeared to have escaped from the camp; as a result, the Deputy Commander of Auschwitz ordered 10 men to be chosen to be starved to death in an underground bunker.
When one of the selected men Franciszek Gajowniczek heard he was selected, he cried out “My wife! My children!” At this point, Kolbe volunteered to take his place.
The Nazi commander replied, “What does this Polish pig want?”
Father Kolbe pointed with his hand to the condemned Franciszek Gajowniczek and repeated: “I am a Catholic priest from Poland; I would like to take his place because he has a wife and children.”
Rather surprised, the commander accepted Kolbe in place of Gajowniczek.
The men were led away to the underground bunker where they were to be starved to death. It is said that in the bunker, Kolbe would lead the men in prayer and singing hymns to Mary. When the guards checked the cell, Kolbe could be seen praying in the middle. Bruno Borgowiec, a Polish prisoner who was charged with serving the prisoner later gave a report of what he saw:
“The ten condemned to death went through terrible days. From the underground cell in which they were shut up there continually arose the echo of prayers and canticles. The man in charge of emptying the buckets of urine found them always empty. Thirst drove the prisoners to drink the contents. Since they had grown very weak, prayers were now only whispered. At every inspection, when almost all the others were now lying on the floor, Father Kolbe was seen kneeling or standing in the centre as he looked cheerfully in the face of the SS men.”
Father Kolbe never asked for anything and did not complain, rather he encouraged the others, saying that the fugitive might be found and then they would all be freed. One of the SS guards remarked: this priest is really a great man. We have never seen anyone like him…”
After two weeks, nearly all the prisoners, except Kolbe had died due to dehydration and starvation. Because the guards wanted the cell emptied, the remaining prisoners and Kolbe were executed with a lethal injection. Those present say he calmly accepted death, lifting up his arm.
His remains were unceremoniously cremated on 15 August 1941.
The deed and courage of Maximillian Kolbe spread around the Auschwitz prisoners. After the war, his reputation grew and he became symbolic of courageous dignity.
Legacy
His martyrdom was widely recognized, and he was canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man he traded his life for, would miraculously survive Auschwitz and later be present at Kolbe’s canonization in 1982.
St. Maximilian Kolbe lived the essence of the Eucharist, giving his life for another. His Eucharistic example endures as a testament to his unwavering faith, compassion, and courage, symbolizing the triumph of love and sacrifice over hatred and oppression.
This article was created using content from a short account of his death and information on his Eucharistic devotion.
