St. Maximilian Kolbe

Today marks the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, one of the Churches more recent living Saints and one that I have found strength in reading about. Amongst other things, he is the Patron Saint against drug addiction, and for those whom battle with a drug addiction. Quite fitting for me!

Born in Russian occupied Poland in 1894 as Raymond Kolbe, to a poor yet pious family, his parents were both Franciscan lay tertiaries. His father was hanged by the Russians whilst fighting for Polish independence, after which his mother became a Benedictine nun. Raymond's brother also became a priest.

At a young age when receiving his First Holy Communion, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary which changed his life: "I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came ti me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing ti accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said I would accept them both." - St. Maximilian Kolbe.

He founded the Immaculata Movement "Militia Immaculatae" and spread devotion to the "Miraculous Medal". He also started a magazine, "Knight of the Immaculate" which had a big publication rate for its time, and also founded a new monastery, "City of the Immaculate" near Warsaw with land given to him by the Prince of Poland. This monastery eventually started its own radio station, had a religious community of about 800 men, the largest in the world of its day, and was fully self sufficient including medical services and fire brigade. Obviously Maximilian had a great devotion to Our Lady!

He did a great number of other things in his time, but when he was arrested by the Nazi's in their invasion of Poland, eventually ending up in Auschwitz, his love of God and his fellow man didn't diminish. There he would hear confessions and celebrate Mass (with bread and wine smuggled in).

Some prisoners escaped from the camp, and Nazi retribution meant they had to kill ten prisoners for every one prisoner who escaped. The man the Nazi's chose to kill was married, and had young children. Maximilian took that mans place and was to die by starvation. Whilst fellow prisoners died, Maximilian was still fighting on, eventually having to be "killed off" with a lethal injection, dying the way he always wished - in service.