The Two Crowns

Born on January 8, 1894, in the Kingdom of Poland, then under the Russian Empire, Raymund Kolbe seemed like an ordinary boy. As an ornery 12-year-old, his mother once asked him what would ever become of him.

Kolbe later recalled:  “That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both.”

The following year, Raymund and his older brother, Francis, entered the Conventual Franciscan Order. In 1910, after beginning his novitiate, Raymund received the religious name Maximilian, and in 1911 he professed his first vows.

While studying in Rome, Maximilian witnessed aggressive and violent demonstrations by Freemasons directed against the Pope and the Catholic Church. Deeply disturbed, he founded the “Militia Immaculatae” in 1917. Its mission was simple yet profound: to lead souls to Jesus through total consecration to Mary and to pray for the conversion of sinners and those opposed to the Church, especially Freemasons.

Ordained a priest in 1918, Father Maximilian dedicated himself to spreading this mission. He launched a monthly publication, “Knight of the Immaculate”, established a major Catholic publishing apostolate, and founded monasteries in Poland, Japan, and India. 

When World War II erupted and Germany invaded Poland, Father Maximilian chose to remain at his monastery while many others fled. He transformed the monastery into a refuge, opening a temporary hospital and caring for those displaced by the war. Although he was briefly imprisoned after the town was captured, he was released three months later.

As Nazi persecution intensified, Father Maximilian continued to live the Gospel with remarkable courage. He sheltered approximately 2,000 Jewish refugees from German persecution and published writings that condemned Nazi ideology. His charity and bold witness eventually drew the attention of the Gestapo. On February 17, 1941, the monastery was closed, and Father Maximilian was arrested. After a brief imprisonment at Pawiak Prison, he was transferred to Auschwitz.

Even amid the horrors of Auschwitz, Father Maximilian never abandoned his identity as a priest. He endured relentless abuse while ministering quietly to fellow prisoners, offering prayers, encouragement, and hope in a place consumed by despair.

Then came the defining moment of his life.

After a prisoner escaped, the camp authorities selected ten men to die by starvation as punishment. Maximilian was not among those chosen. But when one condemned prisoner cried out, "My poor wife and my poor children!" Father Maximilian stepped forward.

Driven by extraordinary charity, he approached the commandant and said, "I want to die in his place."

It was astonishing that the commandant did not execute him immediately. Instead, he sneered, "Who are you?"

Father Maximilian calmly replied, "I am a Catholic priest."

His request was granted.

Inside the starvation bunker, Father Maximilian transformed a place of death into a place of prayer. He led hymns and prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, strengthening the other prisoners and helping them face death with peace. One by one the others died, yet after two weeks without food or water, Father Maximilian remained alive. Finally, on August 14, 1941, the guards ended his life with a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Witnesses recounted that he peacefully raised his left arm and accepted death with complete surrender to God's will.

Today, the ”Militia Immaculatae” continues the mission of Father Maximilian, inspiring countless Catholics through his profound devotion to Mary and his unwavering commitment to evangelization.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe's life stands as one of the greatest modern examples of sacrificial love—a man who accepted both the white crown of purity and the red crown of martyrdom exactly as he had promised Our Lady as a child.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe wrote:  “You are an instrument in Her hand; therefore do only what She wants. Accept everything like a child with his own mother. Trust Her in everything. Take an interest in Her, in Her veneration, in Her things, and let Her take care of you and your loved ones. Recognize that everything you have comes from Her and nothing from you. All the fruits of your activities depend on union with Her, just as She is an instrument of the Divine Mercy. O Immaculate, my life (every moment of it), my death (where, when, and how), and my eternity belong totally to You. Of everything, do whatever You like.”

Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.

Thanks be to God!