Kolbe Devotion To The Blessed Mother Analysis

Sam Condon
Final Essay
St. Maximilian Kolbe
3/5/17

The story of St. Maximilian Kolbe is one of courage, strength and humility. It takes place during one of the cruelest times in modern history, the Holocaust. To the Nazis, he was just prisoner number 16670 but to the rest of the world he is a hero and a Saint. His devotion to the Blessed Mother, fortitude and perseverance is an example to us all. On January 7th, 1894, Raymond Kolbe was born in Zdunka Wola near Lodz in Poland. He was the second of three sons. Raymond’s parents, Jules and Maria, raised their family in a Catholic environment, placing much value on Mary, Jesus’ mother as a religious example. A mischievous child, Raymond was known to drain his mother’s patience. One day she said

He lived with this most of his life but he didn’t let it slow him down. He eventually joined his brother at a junior monastery founded by the Franciscans. He stayed with this order and became a Franciscan on September 4,1910. He took the name Maximilian Mary Kolbe to show his devotion to the Blessed Mother. Raymond Kolbe’s story is deeply connected to the circumstances of history during the time between World War I and World War II. From the date of his ordination on April 28, 1918 to the date of his death on August 14,1941 the world found its self in much turmoil. World War I had just ended and the depression had its grips on all of Europe. His primary mission was to lead people to Mary. Maximilian and six others started a group called “The Crusade of Mary the Immaculate”. Their focus was to “convert sinners, schismatic’s, freemason, and bring all men to love Mary Immaculate.” (www.catholic-pages.com) This remained his focus for much of his life, however he is known most for the story of his heroism that occurred in Auschwitz. The events leading up to World War II started in 1933 when Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of the Nazi Party. By 1939, Poland, Maximilian’s homeland, was invaded by the Nazis. The