The future Patron Saint of Prisoners, St. Maximilian Kolbe, was born Raymond Kolbe on January 8, 1894, near modern day Lodz, Poland, to a devout Catholic family.  Raymond, the middle of three sons, was a typical boy, quick witted, a trifle headstrong, and given to pranks that tried the patience of mother Maria, and father Julius.  On one occasion, Maria shouted at the boy, “I don’t know what will become of you!”  (Sounds familiar).  This event apparently transformed Raymond’s life.  

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His mother noticed thereafter that Raymond was more given to prayer, sometimes for long periods.  At thirteen, Raymond asked to enter a Franciscan minor seminary with his older brother, Francis, at Lvov, Poland.  Both were interested in pursuing religious studies, with the intent of becoming Franciscan priests.  

While in the seminary, Raymond developed a profound love and veneration for Mary, the Mother of Christ, whom he called the Immaculata, and he decided to devote his life to Her service.  He fashioned himself as a Knight of Our Lady, and he promised to win souls for her! On September 11, 1911, he took the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and took the name by which the world came to know him, Maximilian.

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He showed such academic and spiritual promise, that his superiors planned to send him to the Gregorian University to pursue the theology and philosophy studies necessary for ordination.  It was at this time his health began to deteriorate, and he spent several weeks in bed with an unknown condition.  He considered that his health might impair him from becoming a Franciscan priest and fulfilling his desire to become a Knight of the Immaculata, so he prayed to Her, and put his fate into the hands of Franciscan superiors.  After careful consideration and prayer, they saw an improvement, and finally sent him to Rome to study.  Poor health, probably chronic tuberculosis was to haunt him for the rest of his life.  

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By early November of 1914, the young religious pronounced his solemn vows, and in October of 1915 he obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the Gregorian University. He was finally ordained a priest in early 1918.  In 1919 he received his Doctor of Theology from the Seraphic College of his Order.

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His dedication as a Knight of the Immaculata, demanded an organization to bring salvation to the world, and he set about his life’s work of creating the Militia of Mary Immaculate! Six Franciscans joined him, including his brother, by now Father Francis Kolbe.  Francis was to be at Maximilian’s side for the next 20 years of the Saint’s life, always supporting Maximilian, with aid and sound advice.  The avowed purpose of the Militia was to “Conquer for the Church all souls in the entire world to the end of time—through the Immaculate Mother!”

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Saint Maximilian’s biographer, Fr Jerimiah Smith, called this a simple and sane plan.  “Each member was to dedicate himself voluntarily and completely to Mary Immaculate.”  According to his vision, Fr Maximilian thought that this was not just a Franciscan, nor just a Polish effort, but he was intent that it should embrace all nations!  The Franciscan order wholeheartedly backed his plan, and in 1927 the Pope elevated the Militia to important status of Primary Union with the Church.  Accordingly, units were formed throughout the world.

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The first project of the Militia was to publish a newsletter, The Knights of the Immaculate, to aid in the conversions of souls.  Fr Maximilian was able to beg the funds from donors to begin publishing, and, despite chronic financial problems and bouts of ill health, over the next half dozen years, circulation climbed from 5,000 copies in 1921 to 45,000 copies in 1926.  After substantial prayer to Mary Immaculate, Fr. Maximilian decided he needed to build a city for the Immaculata!

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The city was named Niepokalanow, and it was dedicated on December 7, 1927, the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Funds began to pour in, and in quick order, Fr. Maximilian and his colleagues started a major printing center, a church, a Franciscan Friary, a minor seminary, and a college.  Within a few years over 400,000 issues of The Knights of the Immaculata had been being published.  By 1938, Niepokalanow was the largest religious community in the world with over 1,000 Franciscans in residence!

But Fr. Maximilian was not satisfied.  Accordingly, he and a four Friars left to start another city for The Immaculata in.....Japan!  No one spoke the language, or had ever travelled out of Europe, but with the assured protection of the Immaculata they received permission from their superiors, and they departed for Japan from Marseilles in March, 1930, with steamer packet tickets to the far east, and $50!

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After considerable prayer to Mary, some consideration of places to build their city by the local Catholic bishops, they settled in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1931 which at the time had a Cathedral and a small Catholic population.  Through a generous donor they acquired land, built a chapel, residence and school, and began to attract Catholics, and make new converts.  Fr Maximilian even began a seminary.  The Friars also acquired a printing press, and translators, and began to translate the Knights (originally written in Latin) and publish it in Japanese!  By 1934 there were 24 members of the community, called the City of the Immaculata, high in the hills above Nagasaki.  Before the beginning of WWII, there were 70,000 copies of the Knight published annually.  

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Miraculously, the City of the Immaculata and the Franciscan community received only minor damage in the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

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By June of 1932, the irrepressible Fr. Maximilian, though bothered by health problems once again, was called by the Immaculata to start another City, this time in Ernaculam, India, with support of the Archbishop of the Malabar Rite.  By 1936, Fr. Maximilian was back in Niepokalanow, Poland, as the Superior, in charge of over 700 religious.  He was fond of urging all of the Franciscans there to “be a saint, and be GREAT saints!”

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The war years were soon upon them, and in 1939 after the invasion of Poland, the Nazis began to interfere with the City of the Immaculata.  Fr. Maximilian was briefly arrested but was returned to Niepokalanow because of an attack of tuberculosis.  He was again arrested in February 1941 when the Nazis dispersed or imprisoned all of the religious there, and took over the City for the final time, turning it into a concentration camp.  

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Fr. Maximilian was sent to Auschwitz, where the backbreaking work on roads and quarries, the repressive cold and poor food sent him to the infirmary with pneumonia.  The Nazis became outraged when they discovered that Fr. Maximilian was ministering to the prisoners there, counselling them, reassuring them and hearing whispered confessions at night.  He was severely beaten, and starved.  

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As punishment for a prisoner escaping, ten prisoners were chosen by the Kommandant to be starved to death.  One prisoner, a father, begged for mercy, and Fr. Maximilian asked for permission to take his place in Block 13, the death house.  

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As they were locked in, the prisoners were heard to pray and sing psalms and hymns, led by Fr. Maximilian.  As the days went on, Fr. Maximilian could be seen on his knees in prayer or encouraging the dying prisoners.  Only four prisoners lasted over two weeks without food or water, one of whom was Fr. Maximilian. As his executioner approached, he called out, “Ave Maria.” All four were injected with a lethal dose of carbolic acid.  Fr Maximilian was said to have a beatific and peaceful look on his face.  

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It was August 14, 1941, now the Saint’s Feast Day.  Saint Maximilian Kolbe was canonized on October 10, 1971, by Saint John Paul II.  The organization that he started, The Militia of the Immaculata exists today. There is a Militia of the Immaculata presence in over 40 countries around the world.  Their mission statement is:

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“The MI is a universal and international public Association of the faithful, erected by the Holy See. The MI was founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe, OFM Conv., in 1917, is open to Catholics, of all walks of life, and encourages all people of good will to develop a trusting relationship with Our Lady. The aim of the MI is to win the whole world for Christ through the Immaculata, Mother of God and of the Church.”

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When Raymond Kolbe was only 8 years old, he claimed to have had a vision.  The Holy Mother appeared to him in a dream, offering him two crowns, one white for saintliness and purity, and one red for martyrdom.  She asked which he would prefer, and he responded, prophetically, “both of them!” 

My belief is that prisoners always have the same choice as the young Raymond. All of us can always select saintliness through prayer, grace, faith and works, through the Gospels and Holy Rule.  But prisons are place where the small hours of martyrdom are lived out every day in boredom, violence, cruelty, depravation of the Holy Sacraments, dehumanization and suffering.  In prisons, therefore, I believe you can also choose the red crown of martyrdom.  And that is why St Maximilian Kolbe is the patron Saint of prisoners. 

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The inspiration for this piece was a homily by Archbishop Joseph Naumann at a memorial mass sponsored by the St Dismas Society for St Maximilian Kolbe on his Feast Day, August 14, 2021.

 

Craig J. Cummins