St. Maximilian Kolbe

Maximilian Mary Kolbe, born on 8 January 1894 in Poland, became a Conventual Franciscan and in 1918 was ordained a priest in Rome. Out of deep filial devotion to Mary, he established the sodality called the Militia of Mary Immaculate and promoted its growth in Poland and other parts of the world. As a missionary in Japan, he labored under the patronage of the Immaculate Virgin to spread the Christian faith. He returned to Poland and during World War II was imprisoned and suffered great hardship in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. His life of dedication was crowned by his supreme sacrifice of charity on 14 August 1941, when he offered up his own life in place of another prisoner.

From the Liturgy of the Hours. August 14th