St. Maximilian Kolbe: 'The Saint and Hero at Auschwitz' and his visits to Sri Lanka in the 1930

The 84th anniversary of the death of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbea Polish Franciscan priest who, during the Second World War, volunteered to die in place of a fellow prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek (a father of two, condemned to starve to death in the infamous "Death Bunker" at the Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz), in order to save that prisoner's lifefell on August 14, 2025. St. Maximilian Kolbe was no stranger to Sri Lanka. During his missionary journeys to and from Japan, China and India, he visited the Island (then known as Ceylon) in 1930, 1932 and 1933.

- BY PRABHATH DE SILVA

In July 1941, the Nazis discovered that a prisoner had escaped from the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. On such occasions, the Nazis enforced a brutal retaliatory policy they believed would serve as a deterrent: for every escapee, 10 men randomly chosen from the remaining prisoners would be starved to death. Following this cruel and inhuman policy, the SS officer, Karl Fritsch selected 10 men from among the prisoners who were standing in ranks for this unjust collective punishment. One of those chosen was a Polish prisoner Franciszek Gajowniczek, who pleaded in anguish, 'My wife and children'.

Father Maximilian Maria Kolbe was a 47 year old Polish Franciscan priest who had been taken prisoner by Nazis for providing shelter to Jewish refugees at his monastery near Warsaw and for publishing articles critising the Nazi regime. He was not among those chosen for the cruel and vengeful punishment.

Father Maximilian heard the desperate plea of his fellow prisonerFranciszek Gajowniczek. Moved by compassion, he walked up to the Nazi officer.