Father Maximilian Kolbe

1894 Raymond Kolbe was born in Poland to a deeply religious Roman Catholic family.

1906 He had a vision of Jesus’ Mother Mary which changed his life. He asked Mary what was to become of him, and he learnt that he was to become a martyr / saint.

1907 He entered a religious school in Lwow Poland. In 1910 he became a novice monk and changed his name to Maximilian.

1917 He formed a group called “knights of the immaculate”. They fought for goodness, encouraging people to have interest in religion and to perform charitable works.

1918 He became a priest

1930 He travelled to Nagasaki – Japan and published a book. He respected the different religion of Buddhism

1936 Kolbe returned to Poland and became seriously ill with tuberculosis

1939 The Second World War approached. He was deported to Germany for helping Polish refugees – many who were Jewish.

1941 Maximilian was arrested and he was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. He was prisoner 16670. He was supervised by vicious guards, his calmness and dedication towards his faith brought him the worst jobs and more beatings. Once he was beaten and left for dead. Smuggled to the prison hospital, he spent half his time listening to confessions. When he returned to the camp he continued helping people – even giving them his own food.

In June 1941 there was an escape in the camp, Nazi rules were that ten men were to be killed for each escaper. Francis Gajowniczek, a married man with children was chosen to die. Maximilian volunteered to take his place, he was taken to the underground starvation cell. He was the last of the men to die, finally killed by an injection of carbolic acid on 14th August.

1981 He was canonised as a martyr by Pope John Paul II