Mary’s Militant Martyr
by Laura Roberts

Kolbe: Saint of the Immaculata
Edited by Bro. Francis M. Kalvelage
Academy of the Immaculate
pp. 252.
www.marymediatrix.com

Maximilian Kolbe was an extraordinary man. Kolbe . . . Saint of the Immaculata tells the story of his life and death. This Franciscan was, after his death, venerated as a confessor, and when canonized, as a martyr as well. Kolbe, early in his life, had a vision of Our Lady who offered to him two crowns to choose from: a white one for purity, or a red one for martyrdom. Young Raymond (his baptismal name) chose both. Kolbe had an intense commitment to Our Lady, and eventually founded a newsletter in several countries aimed toward promoting the veneration of Mary, and coming to know Jesus through her. “But HOW could her presence be made tangible enough, real enough to open the world’s heart to Christ?. . . . Militia Immaculatae. He would found a movement to make her presence explicit.”

Maximilian Kolbe was a very intelligent man. He obtained two doctorates, one in theology and one in philosophy, both by the age of twenty-five. Ahead of his time, he had designed plans for a space ship so feasible that one of professors told him he should apply for a copyright on it. He even had a professor admit that Kolbe asked questions the professor couldn’t answer. As brilliant as Kolbe was, “All education to him was but a means to an end—the salvation of immortal souls-not an end in itself.” Freemasons were among his prime targets for conversion. Kolbe fought Freemasonry as anti-Catholic, and indeed, even today, Catholics are not permitted to join the Masons. “When Saint Maximilian founded his Militia of the Immaculata (MI) he specifically included the conversion of Freemasons in the daily prayer to be recited by MI members.”

Although St. Maximilian was sickly a good part of his life, he never let that stop his work for God. Even when he was being treated for tuberculosis in a sanatorium, he did not rest from reaching out to people with the truth of the Catholic faith, and was instrumental in several conversions there. Fr. Kolbe considered Miraculous Medals as spiritual bullets to be used against the enemy. He traveled to Japan and to India to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ and veneration of Our Lady. He also opened seminaries, in addition to founding and publishing periodicals.

Fr. Kolbe spent his last days in Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp. A prisoner escaped from the camp, from Block 14, the section of the camp Kolbe was in. As a punishment and deterrent to the remaining men—since they were not able to find the escaping prisoner—the Nazis chose ten men to die a death of starvation and dehydration. This was to be “an agonizing, slow death which could take over two weeks.” One of the men, Francis Gajowniczek, broke down when he was chosen and spoke of his wife and children. Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward to ask to take the place of this man. His request was approved (although the officer was later told he should have taken them both to die) and Kolbe and the other men were left in a cell to die. Maximilian Kolbe was able to change the atmosphere of that prison cell. Other prisoners spent their last days crying out and cursing, but Kolbe led the men in the cell with him in prayer and praise. “What had formerly been a place of torment and bedlam became a place of divine worship.” Kolbe ultimately died from an injection of lethal acid.

Maximilian Kolbe did much in his short life. He was only forty-seven when he died, but he lived those forty-seven years doing the work of God. “‘Here is my formula: v=V. . . . The small v is my will; the capital V is the will of God. When opposed, they cross like this: +, then there is the cross. If you want to cancel out that cross, unite your will with the will of God, who wants you to become saints. It is so simple; the one requisite is to obey!’” 

One absolutely fascinating piece of information to be found in this book is that Francis Gajowniczek actually attended Maximilian Kolbe’s canonization. “‘For years I suffered great doubts over the part I played in contributing to Fr. Kolbe’s death. This great day has put an end to my doubts forever.’” 
The writing style in the book is a little disjointed, partially due to the nature of the book itself. The book is composed of individual essays arranged by an editor. It also has quotes from Kolbe and an occasional insert section (much as a textbook might) as well. However, the material itself is exceptional. Even the basic story of Maximilian Kolbe’s life, there is a lot of background information, as well as “insider” information from the mouths of men who knew Kolbe. 

Laura Roberts is a wife and mother.