Maximilian Kolbe

Maximilian Maria Kolbe (born Raymund Kolbe) is the apostle of consecration to Mary. He was born in Poland in 1894. Kolbe had four brothers, but two of them died. Kolbe and one of his other brothers joined the Franciscans, and illegally crossed the border. Kolbe became a Catholic and was renamed Maximilian Kolbe. Kolbe recieved a vision from mary where he saw 2 crowns, a white and a red. The red one was of suffering and the white of peace. Kolbe accepted both crowns from Mary. He then took the middle name Maria, as it seemed appropriate. Kolbe set up a group called the Militia Imacculata or the army of Mary. He promoted praying to Mary, and absolved many freemasons. Kolbe set up a Monastery in Japan, and another in Poland. In Auschwitz, Kolbe opted to die in place of a Jew that he had never met. He was martyred and was quickly canonized by John Paul II. He is the patron saint of drug addicts and alchoholics. Kolbe is usually depicted with a needle in his arm, because he was given drugs to kill him in the concentration camp when he volunteered to die in place of the stranger. Kolbe is a good role model for all Catholics as he set up two monasteries around the world. He was also canonized and is a martyr. He may not be such a great role model for protestants or other denominations as he spent his life trying to promote Mary, and Protestants and other denominations don’t believe Mary is as important as Catholics believe she is. Nor do they think that Mary can intercede for them in prayer. Kolbe gave his life to save a stranger, and this also makes him a good role model as he showed complete devotion to God and his faith. He did not know the man he died to save, but he volunteered to die in place of him in Auschwitz. If Kolbe hadn't died then, he may have gone on to do many more good works, but I think he made the right choice as it spoke to people, and showed utter dedication to his faith. He is a role model for all Christians because he showed a level of dedication that you can't ignore, he set up multiple monasteries and he recieved a vision from Mary, which is more than most Christians could ever hope to achieve.