St. Mary Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) was born in Poland. He consecrated himself to the Lord in the Franciscan Order. Filled with love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Maximilian devoted his life to fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a priest, publisher, and founder of the Militia of the Immaculate Mary and, with his preaching and writing, undertook an intense apostolic mission in Europe and Asia building the “City of the Immaculate.”

Imprisoned and sentenced to hard manual labor at the death camp in Auschwitz during the Second World War, he offered his life in exchange for the father of a large family who was to be executed. He was given a lethal injection when he failed to die fast enough from starvation in the concentration camp. Pope John Paul II proclaimed him the Patron of Our Suffering Century. He is remembered for his prophetic words, “Hatred is not a creative force. Only love is a creative power.” Feast Day: 14 August.

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