Codice prodotto: L10339
Memorial Day: August 14
When did Saint Maximilian Kolbe live: 1894-1941
BIOGRAPHY:
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, born Raymund Kolbe on January 8, 1894, in Zdunska Wola, Poland, joined the Franciscan Order as a young man and took the name Maximilian. He was a strong advocate of Marian devotion and, in 1917, founded the "Militia Immaculatae" (Knights of the Immaculate), a movement dedicated to spreading the Catholic faith. In the 1920s, he founded the Niepokalanów monastery near Warsaw, which became a major center for religious publications. During World War II, he sheltered many refugees, including Jews, in his monastery. In 1941, he was arrested by the Nazis and deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he volunteered to take the place of another prisoner condemned to die of starvation. He died in the starvation bunker on August 14, 1941. In 1982, Pope John Paul II canonized him and recognized him as a martyr of charity.
PATRONAGE:
St. Maximilian Kolbe is the patron saint of prisoners, families, journalists, radio operators, drug addicts, the pro-life movement, and people with eating disorders.
SYMBOLISM, DEPICTION:
The symbols of San Maximilian Kolbe are the Franciscan habit, which represents his religious affiliation, as well as the prisoner's clothing with the number 16670 and a book, which refer to his martyrdom in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
PATRON SAINT OF:
Maximilian, Max, Maxim, Maxi, Maximus, Milian, Maximilianus, Maximiano, Miliano, Milius, Massimiliano.