Prisoner 16670. Before Auschwitz, Maximilian Kolbe was a media mogul. He ran the largest printing press in Poland, publishing newspapers dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
The Escape
In July 1941, a prisoner escaped from Block 14. The Nazi rule was simple: For every escapee, 10 men would be starved to death in the starvation bunker. The commandant walked down the line, picking men at random. He pointed to Franciszek Gajowniczek, a young father. Franciszek cried out: "My wife! My children!"
The Swap
Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward. He took off his cap. "I am a Catholic priest. I wish to die for that man. I am old; he has a wife and children."
The commandant was stunned but accepted the exchange.
The Bunker
Usually, the starvation bunker was a place of screaming and madness. Under Kolbe's leadership, it became a chapel. They sang hymns. They prayed the Rosary. After two weeks, only Kolbe was still alive. Impatient, the Nazis injected him with carbolic acid on August 14.
The Aftermath: Franciszek Gajowniczek survived the war. He lived to see Kolbe canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.
No greater love. Learn about the Militia Immaculata on the MyPrayerTower app.