St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, a Franciscan friar who was murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz, is among the twentieth century’s most notable saints.
However behind his trademark glasses, deep devotion to the Virgin Mary and gorgeous bravery within the hardest of occasions is an advanced determine — one whose story is the topic of the most recent installment of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s “The Saints,” streaming now on Fox Nation.
The longer term patron saint of prisoners, drug addicts and journalists was born in Poland on Jan. 8, 1894, as Raymund Kolbe, the second son of Julius Kolbe and Maria Dąbrowska.
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On the age of 9, the boy’s life took a dramatic flip when he skilled a imaginative and prescient of the Virgin Mary.
Kolbe advised his mom that whereas praying to know the way his life would play out, the Blessed Mom provided him the selection between two crowns: a white one symbolizing purity and a purple one symbolizing martyrdom. The younger Kolbe stated he would take each crowns.
“I selected each,” he advised his mom within the episode. “I needed to.”
Maximilian Maria Kolbe skilled a imaginative and prescient of the Virgin Mary whereas praying as a baby on this screengrab taken from “The Saints.” (Fox Nation)
Kolbe’s mom and father every joined spiritual orders – his mom the Benedictine sisters, his father the Franciscans in Krakow, Scorsese says within the present’s narration.
His father would ultimately depart the Franciscans after the beginning of WWI and joined the Polish legions, Scorsese famous. Following the conflict, the household would study that he had been hanged by the Russians.
On the age of 16, Kolbe adopted the spiritual identify “Maximilian.”
Kolbe himself then joined the Conventual Franciscans, a Catholic spiritual order, learning in Lviv, a metropolis that’s now in Ukraine.
In 1910, on the age of 16, Kolbe adopted the spiritual identify “Maximilian” upon coming into the novitiate.
In 1914, Kolbe professed remaining vows, taking the identify Br. Maximilian Maria Kolbe. He could be ordained a priest in 1918, at age 24, after learning in Rome.
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Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Kolbe based the Militia Immaculatae in 1917, with the purpose of changing sinners to Christianity by the intercession of the Blessed Mom, Scorsese stated.
Kolbe returned to Poland after his ordination, taught at a seminary, operated a spiritual printing press and based a publication, “The Knight of the Immaculata.”
“He traveled to Japan, established a mission, after which a seminary, in Nagasaki,” Scorsese stated. “And he began a publication of the Japanese model of the Knight of the Immaculata.” He additionally hung out in India and based a seminary there as effectively.
In 1933, Kolbe returned to Poland, the identical yr
Adolf Hitler got here to energy in Germany, Scorsese stated. Catholic clergy have been additionally topic to persecution, he stated.
Kolbe (entrance row, center) based a monastery in Poland often known as Niepokalanów. He and his brother friars ran a number of publications and a radio station from the monastery. (Laski Diffusion/Getty Photographs)
Kolbe caught tuberculosis, but it didn’t decelerate his evangelization work, Scorsese stated.
As a substitute, Kolbe expanded his media community, which operated out of the monastery he based, known as Niepokalanów.
“Along with his two publications, Kolbe based the primary Catholic radio station in Poland,” Scorsese stated.
He acquired a ham radio license and had the decision signal SP3RN.
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Throughout World Warfare II, after Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, “Kolbe was arrested by the German military inside weeks,” Scorsese stated. “He was detained for 3 months.”
Whereas detained, Niepokalanów was ransacked, “the brand new actuality of life underneath Nazi occupation,” Scorsese added.
Regardless of the previous promotion of anti-Semitic works by his radio station and publication, Kolbe himself inspired others to see the humanity of their Jewish neighbors.
“He is at all times your brother, it doesn’t matter what his religion.”
Within the episode, viewers see the encounter between Kolbe and his neighbor, Mrs. Haba. She requested Kolbe if it might be prudent for her to present her ravenous Jewish neighbors bread once they got here to her.
Kolbe advised her, “We should all do not forget that Jesus Christ, our Lord, was born a Jew. As was his Blessed Mom, the Immaculate. Mrs. Haba, when [a] man involves you gloated in energy, beware. When a person involves you begging for meals – he is your brother. He is at all times your brother, it doesn’t matter what his religion, or his look. You need to keep in mind this.”
Maximilian Kolbe instructs Mrs. Haba to offer bread to those that are ravenous, no matter their religion or look, on this screengrab taken from Fox Nation’s “The Saints.” (Fox Nation)
Because the conflict continued, “Kolbe and his brethren sheltered and cared for over 3,000 displaced folks, together with 1,500 Jews,” Scorsese stated.
Kolbe and a few others have been arrested by the Gestapo in Feb. 1941. They have been first imprisoned at Pawiak, in Warsaw, the place they have been tortured, Scorsese stated. In Might, Kolbe was transferred to Auschwitz and given the prisoner quantity 16670.
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Whereas in Auschwitz, Kolbe continued to behave as a priest and was topic to harassment. He gained a optimistic status amongst different prisoners at Auschwitz.
In late July 1941, a prisoner went lacking from camp and was assumed to have escaped.
“I am a Catholic priest. I wish to take the place of this man.”
To exchange the escaped prisoner, the Nazi guards picked 10 folks out of a line and stated they might be despatched to a hunger chamber. A kind of males – a Polish Catholic named Franciszek Gajowniczek – cried out that he had a spouse and kids. Kolbe volunteered to take his place, which the guard accepted.
“I am a Catholic priest. I wish to take the place of this man,” Kolbe stated.
Kolbe volunteered to die within the place of a person he didn’t know on this screengrab taken from “The Saints.” (Fox Nation)
“He has household, sir. I’ve nobody. Please, I wish to die instead of this man,” he stated.
Whereas within the hunger bunker, Kolbe led the others in prayer. Ultimately, they started to succumb to hunger and dehydration.
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After two weeks, on Aug. 14, Kolbe was nonetheless alive. The Nazi guards then killed him with an injection of carbolic acid.
Kolbe is seen dying on this screengrab taken from “The Saints.” (Fox Nation)
He was cremated the next day, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
Kolbe was beautified, the step earlier than sainthood, in 1971, by Pope Paul VI. He was canonized on Oct. 10, 1982, by Pope St. John Paul II, Scorsese stated.
Kolbe was given the titles of confessor and “martyr of charity,” fulfilling the guarantees he made to the Virgin Mary at age 9.
Gajowniczek, the person Kolbe saved, was current at each his beatification and canonization as a visitor.
Franciszek Gajowniczek (heart, being blessed by Pope Paul VI), whose life was saved by Kolbe, was current at Kolbe’s beatification and canonization. The longer term Pope St. John Paul II, who on the time was Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, is seen on the far proper. (Wojtek Laski/Getty Photographs)
Fox Nation’s “The Saints” follows the lives and legacies of saints corresponding to Maximilian Kolbe, who function examples of tenacity, braveness and righteousness within the face of adversity.
For extra Life-style articles, go to www.foxnews.com/way of life
The eight episodes discover the lives of Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, Sebastian, Maximilian Kolbe, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene and Moses the Black — with Scorsese and his workforce journeying over 2,000 years of historical past to give attention to these extraordinary figures and their excessive acts of kindness, selflessness and sacrifice.
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To look at weekly installments of “The Saints,” join Fox Nation and start streaming the collection at this time. Fox Nation is providing a 3-month free trial with the promo code “SAINTS.”
