St. Maximilian lived in dark times and died in a very dark place, yet wherever he went he radiated the light of God’s love and mercy. His life teaches us to entrust ourselves to our loving Mother, Mary Immaculate, and through her, to bring both our souls and the souls of others to the happiness of union with God. May we like him illumine the darkness of this world by the same fire of love.

Some facts about the saint;

• As a child he had a vision of Our Lady where she showed him two crowns: one red, the other white. When asked to choose which he preferred, he chose both: to remain pure and undivided in his love for God and the Blessed Virgin, and to be a martyr.
• At age of thirteen he as inspired by Franciscan ideals
  preached by two Conventual Franciscans who conducted a parish mission at his church in Pabianice in 1907. Begins novitiate 4th Sept 1910 OFM Conventual.
• He founded the “Knights of the Immaculate” in Rome on eve of October 16, 1917, year before his ordination. He was inspired “after St. Maximilian witnessed the Freemasons of Rome, as part of their 1917 bicentennial celebration, parading with signs championing the victory of Satan over the Church! In their hatred for the Church, the Freemasons actually marched right up to the doors of St. Peter’s, where the pope was a voluntary prisoner. Boldly, they displayed their banners: “Satan must reign in the Vatican. The pope will be his slave.” Kolbe: Saint of the Immaculate, edited by Bro. Francis M. Kalvelage, FI, (New Bedford: Academy of the Immaculate, 2001) p. 31.
• Established the City of the Immaculate (Niepokalanów), 1927, where the monthly magazine “Rycerz Niepokalanej” (“Knight of the Immaculate”) which he started and published 600,000 copies per issue amazing for the time.
• Established the Garden of the Immaculata, Nagasaki japan 1931
• 1941 arrested for second time by the Germans occupying Poland and sent to Auschwitz and branded prisoner #16670. There he would go on to become a martyr giving his life in exchange for another prisoner who was condemned to death by starvation.
• August 14, 1941 Fr. Maximillian’s two-week ordeal in the starvation bunker was brought to an end by a poisonous carbolic acid injection.
• June 1979, during his visit to St. Maximilian’s death chamber in Auschwitz, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him “Patron Saint of our Difficult Age.”
• October 10, 1982 Pope John Paul II proclaimed Fr. Maximillian Kolbe Saint, declaring him a “martyr of charity”.
• He is the patron Saint of drug addicts, prisoners, families, and the pro-life movement.
• His feast day is celebrated on August 14.

St. Maximilian Kolbe quotes:

“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.”

“Modern times are dominated by Satan and will be more so in the future. The conflict with hell cannot be engaged by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. However, assumed into Heaven, the Mother of God now requires our cooperation. She seeks souls who will consecrate themselves entirely to her, who will become in her hands effective instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spreading of God’s kingdom upon earth.”

For more information ref: https://saintmaximiliankolbe.com