Maximillian Kolbe
Maximillian Kolbe was a Polish monk who was born in Zdunska Wola. He joined the Conventual Franciscan Order at the age of 16. He suffered from tuberculosis in his youth and he was frail all his life. He was ordained at 24 and he later became a doctor of theology. He founded the "Militia Immaculatae" and when he published the magazine "The Knight of the Immaculate" which was anti-nazi he was thrown into Auschwitz.
In Auschwitz he said mass and sang to keep the spirit of his fellow prisoners up. One night two prisoners escaped, and the Germans as a punishment sentenced 10 other prisoners to death. As the prisoners were selected one of them shouted, "No, I've got a family you can't kill me!" At this Kolbe volunteered to take his place. The Germans accepted this and put the ten remaining people into a dark, damp cell without food or water until they died. Kolbe had sacrificed his life for this man. He was prepared to suffer starvation for a man that he didn't even know. This is a similar to Jesus as he gave his life and suffered greatly for many people he hadn't met before. While Kolbe was in there he kept praying and singing until he became too weak to do so. He lasted for so long that the Germans eventually gave him an injection of caustic soda to kill him because they wanted to put someone else in the cell. His body was burned in the ovens.
Maximillian Kolbe was a Polish monk who was born in Zdunska Wola. He joined the Conventual Franciscan Order at the age of 16. He suffered from tuberculosis in his youth and he was frail all his life. He was ordained at 24 and he later became a doctor of theology. He founded the "Militia Immaculatae" and when he published the magazine "The Knight of the Immaculate" which was anti-nazi he was thrown into Auschwitz.
In Auschwitz he said mass and sang to keep the spirit of his fellow prisoners up. One night two prisoners escaped, and the Germans as a punishment sentenced 10 other prisoners to death. As the prisoners were selected one of them shouted, "No, I've got a family you can't kill me!" At this Kolbe volunteered to take his place. The Germans accepted this and put the ten remaining people into a dark, damp cell without food or water until they died. Kolbe had sacrificed his life for this man. He was prepared to suffer starvation for a man that he didn't even know. This is a similar to Jesus as he gave his life and suffered greatly for many people he hadn't met before. While Kolbe was in there he kept praying and singing until he became too weak to do so. He lasted for so long that the Germans eventually gave him an injection of caustic soda to kill him because they wanted to put someone else in the cell. His body was burned in the ovens.
