weirdpolis:St. Maximilian Maria KolbeIn Poland he’s sometimes called „Szaleniec Boży” (the Lunatic o
weirdpolis:St. Maximilian Maria KolbeIn Poland he’s sometimes called „Szaleniec Boży” (the Lunatic of God’), ‘cause of his unbreakable spirit and drive, which manifested in his service to God. He often came up with grand ideas and lead them gathering many people to follow and participate. He’d never give up. He had in himself true Franciscan’ spirit, which consolidated the asceticism, simple life and the utilization of modern technologies in the act of Evangelization.During his studies in Rome, he witnessed vehement demonstrations against pope, which inspired him to organize the Militia Immaculatae (Knights of Immaculata, Rycerstwo Niepokalanej) to work for conversion of sinners and enemies of the Catholic Church. Soon the organization was spread all over the world. He started publishing newspapers and magazines for Catholics. In Poland mainly “Rycerz Niepokalanej”, which (by the year 1939) has been coming out monthly in circulation of 1 million copies, but also several other titles in hundres of thousands copies daily. He started first catholic radio. He was building monasteries from scratch (he would say: „ask the Immaculate Mary, she will help you all”). Niepokalanów in Poland has been a publishing center, seminary and a home for 800 franciscan friars – largest monastery in Europe of that time. Another one - Mugenzai no Sono, was build in Nagasaki. It lasted the atomic bombing, because st. Maximilian chose the placing on the other side of mountain – by locals considered not suitable. He also founded there a seminary for franciscans and a japanese edition of „Rycerz Niepokalanej” magazine. He wished to create a monastery named after the Immaculate in every country. It was hard to stop him. During the WWII, when Nazis took over Niepokalanów, st. Maximilian immediately organized another shelter for his brothers and for 3 000 refugees (most of them were Jews). He’d set up for them various workshops and semi-hospital. As he could no longer publish any magazines, the friars spend all their time on Adoration of Christ. Later, prisoned in Auschwitz, he kept serving inmates as a priest, but also as a gentle soul, giving them hope and building them up. Now st. Maximilian is considered a saint patron in drug addictions, drug addicts, families, imprisoned people, journalists, political prisoners, prisoners, pro-life movement, amateur radio and electricians. Pope John Paul II declared him also “The Patron Saint of Our Difficult Century”. Czytaj dalej -- source link
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