Saint Maxmilian Kolbe Minibook

Title: Saint Maxmilian Kolbe
Authors: Bob and Penny Lord
Publisher: Journeys of Faith
Format: Printed minibook
48 Pages

The Life of Saint Maxmilian Kolbe

Martyr of Auschwitz

Winner - 1995 International Catholic Film Festival

“I am a Catholic Priest.”

How does a man give up his life for someone he never met before? This man has been called by many titles: Saint of World War II, Holy Prisoner, Saint of Concentration Camps, Saint of the Press, Saint of Aviation, Saint of Progress, Saint of the Poor. But I think the one he would prefer is “Catholic Priest.”

The devil uses any means to kill us. For so many years, in the United States, the Polish people have been the brunt of very poor ethnic jokes. It is true, every new group coming into our free society inherits the suffering, the minority group before them endured. It’s like being a freshman in college. The only difference is, growing up out of the persecution is swifter, the freshman only degraded for a year not a lifetime. It gets so bad that the minority, to become one of “the guys,” often pokes fun at itself! And then, most tragically, everyone believes it and the world is cheated of an extraordinary people.

But God loves us! God sent us a Pole, a charismatic, powerful, intelligent, talented, loving leader, our Pope. Through him and the interest the world has in him, we have become aware of the history of a brave, faithful, bright, true people of God. We find ourselves getting upset when someone tells an innocent, cutting joke about a Polack. It’s like they’re attacking us!

We visit the city of the Immaculata. We trace his life and find out why he would have been canonized even if he had not been martyred.

We discuss his room and look out the window upon the statue of the Blessed Mother, he looked to for strength as he saw the gestapo coming to take him to a Death Camp.

He gave up his life for another, with the words,"I want to take this man’s place. I am a Catholic Priest." I want to take this man’s place. I am a Catholic Priest."

We describe  Auschwitz & the cell block where he died at the hands of the Nazis.