Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die instead of another prisoner during their imprisonment in Auschwitz concentration camp. After one of the escapes from the camp, SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Fritzsch, the deputy camp commander, selected 10 prisoners to be starved to death. He thought this would discourage others to make any further attempts to escape in the future. One of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out "My wife! My children!" and Father Kolbe decided to take his place so that he might have 'better' chances to be reunited with his closed ones. Gajowniczek did survive.
As for Father Kolbe he died after 2 weeks of starvation and dehydration receiving a lethal injection of carbonic acid on 14 August 1941. It is said that his remains were 'cremated' on 15 August which is celebrated by Christians as the Assumption of Mary.
Father Kolbe
Image source: Internet
Getting back to his life before his arrest one should note that he was the founder of the monastery in Niepokalanów near Warsaw which became the biggest congregation in the world having 700 friars before the outbreak of WWII. He was a missionary in Japan, China and India where his work is still recognised as pioneering in spreading catholic faith. Arrested for the first time in autumn 1939, released and imprisoned again in 1941, sent to Auschwitz where he received 16670 prisoner number. The story of his sacrifice was filmed by Krzysztof Zanussi in "Życie za życie" in 1991.
Father Kolbe used to say "The most deadly poison of our time is indifference."
Let us spend some time reflecting on this.
Source: Youtube
- http://www.azquotes.com/author/28180-Maximilian_Kolbe accessed on March 30, 2018
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