St MAXIMILIAN KOLBE

by Bishop David Chislett SSC

One of the most moving moments of Pope John Paul's ecumenical visit to Canterbury Cathedral in 1982 was the prayer offered in the Martyrs' Chapel. This chapel had been set up in 1977. Its shrines commemorate twelve men and women chosen from the many thousands who have died in what Pope John Paul called "this century of Christian martyrdom".

With Robert Runcie, then Archbishop of Canterbury, the Pope lit candles to honour those who gave their lives rather than deny the faith of Jesus.

Included amongst the martyrs of that chapel is Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who had been remarkably successful in sharing the Gospel, especially in Poland and Japan. Thousands of young people had been brought to a renewed love of Jesus and Mary through his ministry. He had been arrested by the Gestapo on 17th February 1941, and in May of the same year transferred to Auschwitz concentration camp where he devoted himself completely to the needs of the other prisoners. His kindness, generosity and love became well known.

At the end of July one of the prisoners escaped. The commander was furious and ordered that ten prisoners should die in his place. The prisoners were lined up and ten picked out at random. The ninth one chosen broke down and asked for mercy on the grounds that he was married and had a young family to support. It was then that Maximilian stepped forward and asked if he could take the man's place. After giving the matter some thought, the commander agreed.

The ten condemned men were flung naked onto the concrete floor of an underground bunker and left there to starve to death. The guards observed them through a peep-hole and could hardly believe what they saw. Frequently the condemned men were gathered around Father Maximilian. Sometimes they were joking, sometimes they were praying and singing hymns. The assistant janitor, an eyewitness of those terrible days, said that it was as though Cell 18 had become a church.

Fourteen days went by, and the prisoners died one by one. Father Maximilian was the last to die when a guard put and end to his agony with an injection of phenol.

Franciszek Gajowniczek, the man whose place Father Maximilian had taken, survived Auschwitz and the war. Later he said "At first I felt terrible at the thought of leaving another man to die in my place. But then I realised that he had done this, not so much to save my life, as to be with the other nine in their last terrible agony. His nearness to them in those dreadful last hours was worth more than a lifetime of preaching."

Father Maximilian might have contented himself with giving those men encouragement and advice. If it had been allowed he might have visited them in their death cell. But his presence with them, sharing their dreadful ordeal meant more than anything else.

Father Maximilian's death began a healing work in many hearts. After the War he became a popular symbol of the cry for a renewed respect of basic human rights in Germany as well as in Poland. In church circles, people of both nationalities pressed for his recognition as a Saint. This eventually took place in October 1982 at S. Peter's Basilica, Rome. The next day, Gajowniczek and many other survivors of Auschwitz and similar concentration camps were present at a special service of reconciliation in which Germans and Poles prayed together and exchanged the greeting of peace with each other.

Like Jesus whom he served, Father Maximilian gave his life for others. Like Jesus, his very presence reassured all kinds of people that God was real and that he loved them in spite of all the suffering and pain in the world.

Above the west door on the gospel side of All Saints' is a stained glass window commemorating S. Maximilian Kolbe. Its details recall the horror of Auschwitz just as they draw our attention to the sacrificial offering of Maximilian's life. We often leave the church through that door after Mass. How many of us glance up as we go back into the world and ask God to give us the courage and strength to offer our lives to him for the salvation of others?

As we prepare to celebrate the Feast Day of S. Maximilian Kolbe on 14th August, may we be inspired by the devotion and love of this holy man. Through his intercession, may we become more loving and more courageous in our sharing of the Gospel of God's love with those around us.

Published in the ALL SAINTS' GAZETTE, July 1996