# Saint Maximilian Kolbe and the Consecration to Mary
*2020-08-13*

> Bill Young reflects on the life and martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe and leads listeners in a prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

## Introducing St. Maximilian Kolbe

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. Today is Friday, August 14th, the feast day of one of my favorite saints, St. Maximilian Kolbe. He was a Polish Franciscan priest who gave his life for another prisoner at Auschwitz in 1941. Kolbe founded the Militia Immaculatae, a movement devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and he was a great advocate of consecration to Mary.

## Kolbe’s Martyrdom

During the war, ten prisoners were selected for execution after a fellow inmate escaped. One of them cried out that he had a family and could not die. Kolbe stepped forward and said, “I will take his place.” The men, including Kolbe, were locked in a dank cell and starved for two weeks. In that darkness they sang the Rosary and offered confession, turning a terrible situation into a profound witness to faith. When the Nazis finally decided to kill them, they injected Kolbe with a lethal dose of phenol, a painful death.

## Consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary

Kolbe’s love for Mary inspires us to consecrate ourselves to her. Let us pray together:

"O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, refuge of sinners, most loving Mother, to whom God entrusts the whole plan of His mercy: I, an unworthy sinner, humbly place myself at your feet. Accept my whole being as your personal belonging. Use my body, soul, life, death, destiny, and eternity for your holy purposes. May I become a useful instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands, that the glory of Jesus may shine through me. Grant me the courage to face all enemies and keep me faithful to your Son. Amen."

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be praised.

## St. Maximilian’s Legacy in Our Parish

Our parish in Pembroke Pines, Florida, celebrates St. Maximilian’s feast with Masses in English and Spanish, both in person and virtually. Confession is available on weekdays, and communion can be obtained through the live‑streamed Masses. Even if you cannot attend, you can join in spiritual communion and an act of contrition.

*May St. Maximilian Kolbe’s self‑sacrifice inspire us to consecrate our lives to Mary and serve Christ with love.*