Knight of the Immaculata

It seems appropriate that on the vigil of the Assumption the Church should commemorate a saint particularly devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, martyr of Auschwitz. Readers no doubt no of the circumstances of his martyrdom so I would like to post a few facts from his "hidden life".

Maximilian's parents were both Franciscan Tertiaries, his father sold religious books before joining the struggle for Polish independence for which he was hung by the Russians and his mother later became a Benedictine nun. At his First Holy Communion he received a vision in which Our Lady offered him the crowns of martyrdom and purity.

He entered the Franciscan junior seminary aged 13 and the novitiate of the Conventual Franciscans at 16, taking final vows four years later. He completed his philosophical and theological studies in Rome, where he was ordained and took his doctorate. During this time he founded the militia Immaculata for the conversion of sinners, heretics and enemies of the Church, spread of the Miraculous Medal and sanctification of all under the patronage and through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

In Poland he taught at the seminary before spending several months in hospital for tuberculosis, returning to begin publication of the Knight of the Immaculate. With his publication increasing its circulation, Maximilian was given land to found a new monastery for his work.

Not content with his work in Poland, Maximilian went to Japan where he started printing a version of the Knight and founded a monastery in Nagasaki, then traveled to India with the same intentions but was unable to procure the necessary assistance. Back in Poland the monastery had grown to a community of 800 and was now a City of the Immaculate.

In September 1939 Maximilian was arrested by the Nazis but released after three months. On his release the monastery opened its doors to 3000 refugees and began printing works critical of the Nazis, for which he would be arrested and meet his final end.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.