“When in Rome, the Freemasons started coming out in the open daringly, flaunting their banners under the windows of the Vatican, depicting, on the black banners of the followers of Giordano Bruno, St. Michael the Archangel crushed under the foot of Lucifer, and openly lashing out against the Holy Father in propaganda pamphlets. The thought came of setting up an association committed to fighting Freemasonry and other servants of Lucifer.”

Raymund Kolbe was born in 1894 in the Kingdom of Poland and a martyr in the German death camp of Auschwitz during World War II.

When he was 12, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary in which he asked what was to become of him. She presented two crowns, one white and the other red, and asked if he was willing to accept either of them. The white one meant he should persevere in purity and the red that he should become a martyr. He said he would accept both.

A year later, him and his brother joined the Conventual Franciscans and in 1910 professed his first vows and was given the religious name of Maximilian.

He went to Rome to study and earned a doctorate in philosophy and theology. After having witnessed the Freemasons, he organized the Militia Immaculata (Army of the Immaculate One) which several other of his friends quickly joined. They were able to obtain their first blessing by the Pope right away.

They made little progress and 3 of the members died of the Spanish flu. Kolbe had developed Tuberculosis during school and his condition worsened but he wanted to fight on.

After having been excused from school because of his condition, he drafted the “Program of Militia Immaculata” and received a blessing in writing with a desire that the MI be propagated among the youth. Membership began to greatly increase.

He was ordained a priest in 1918 and returned to Poland. He was sent out and founded monasteries in both Japan and India.

In 1936, Kolbe’s poor health forced him to return to Poland and once WWII began, he opened up a temporary hospital to aid those in need. When his town was captured, he was sent to prison but released 3 months later. He continued to work in his monastery and provide shelter for refugees including hiding 2,000 Jews. Using the monastery publishing house, he issued many anti-Nazi German publications.

In 1941, the monastery was shut down and he was arrested. Shortly he was transferred to Auschwitz. As a priest, he was the victim of severe violence and harassment. Victims were chosen to die of starvation as a warning against escapees and he volunteered to take the place of one of the men who had a family. He led prayers to the Virgin Mary with the prisoners and was one of the last to remain alive. Guards gave him a lethal injection and he died on August 14th of 1941. He was cremated on August 15th, the feast day of the Assumption of Mary.

The Militia of the Immaculata is still strong today: https://militiaoftheimmaculata.com/mission-statement/

For God’s Glory.