Saint Maximlilian Kolbe Documentary

An excellent documentary video by HM Television

Notes regarding the video
Our Lady is referred to as “Intercessor of All Graces” rather than “Mediatrix of All Graces”. St. Maximilian repeatedly uses the title of “Mediatrix of All Graces” in his writings. In fact, in the crucial last years of his life, he was preparing a book on the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady’s role as Mediatrix of All graces. (see P.D. Fehlner, F.I., St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, Martyr of Charity, Pneumatologist. His Theology of the Holy Spirit, New Bedford, MA, 2004. Page 20)Concerning the “dream” of the two crowns.The vision of the two crowns does not seem to have been a “dream”, but rather the testimony suggests a real apparition (that probably took place in the Saint’s home parish). The only testimony that we have of this event is from a letter of the Saint’s mother, dated October 12th, 1941:”I was concerned that he might perhaps be sick, so I asked him: ‘What is the matter with you?’ And I began to insist, ‘You must tell everything to your mother.'”Trembling with emotion and with tears in his eyes he told me: ‘When .you scolded me, Mama, I prayed very much to the Madonna to tell me what would become of me. And later, in church, I prayed to her again. Then the Madonna appeared to me, holding two crowns in her hands: one white and one red. She looked on me with affection and asked me if I wanted those two crowns. The white one meant that I would remain pure, and the red, that I would be a martyr. I told her I accepted them. Then the Madonna looked at me sweetly and disappeared.’

”The extraordinary change that took place in the boy testified to the reality of the vision. He was always fully aware of it, and on every occasion, with his face radiant, he would mention his desired death of martyrdom. And so I was prepared, as the Madonna was after the prophecy of Simeon.”

Concerning the Saint’s entry to the Franciscan novitiate.

It was Raymond and Francis, the older brother (not Joseph, the younger brother) who had entered together and then decided to leave before entering the Novitiate (see the letter to his mother from April 20th, 1919).

Concerning the date of receiving habit

St Maximilian received the Franciscan habit and took the new name on September 4th, 1910 – Age 16 (Not October 4th 1904).

Concerning the date of ordination

It was on the 28th of April (not 29th), 1918 – see the Saint’s Journal entry on May 9th, 1918, where he describes the day of his ordination. See also the letter to his mother dated ca. September 26, 1918, as well as his own personal Mass intentions notebook.

Concerning the donation of the land for Niepokalanów and the statue of the Immaculate.

The statue was left on the land itself, and not on the desk of the prince. This is attested to by the testimony of a certain Srzednicki, who was the administrator of the prince’s lands and who was the initial middle man between the Saint and the prince, as well as by Fr. Alphonse Kolbe, St. Maximilian’s brother in his Notatki o M.I., p. 79, entry dated July 10, 1927:

“The General Chapter gave its consent to the foundation for the new site and for the publishing house and the acceptation of the Prince’s donation, but it rejected the prince’s conditions (26 annual, perpetual Holy Masses, 2 of which in the palace of the prince)… in the meantime on the 6th of August, 1927, a statue of the Immaculate was solemnly blessed… – which still stands in the same place – on a [then] still empty plot of land. On the 1 st of October, 1927, the prince renounced the previously posed conditions and the building of Niepokalanów was begun immediately…”

Summarizing the course of events:

  1. The prince wanted to donate the land, but on the condition that Masses be said for him perpetually;
  2. this condition was not accepted by St. Maximilian’s superiors;
  3. in the meantime St. Maximilian had placed a statue of the Immaculate on the land;
  4. when the prince withdrew his offer, St. Maximilian insisted the statue stay, to show that at least once the Immaculate didn’t keep Her promise;
  5. this gnawed on the prince’s conscience, who soon donated the land without any conditions.
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