Saint Maximilian Kolbe was born in an area of Poland that was part of the Russian Empire. At age 12, he experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary. One year later, he and his brother joined the Conventual Franciscans. He was very active in promoting the Immaculate Virgin Mary and is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary. When World War II started, he was active at helping hide Jewish people and providing shelters for refugees. His monastery also acted as a publishing house that spoke out against the atrocities of Nazi-Germany. He was eventually captured and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. He led many in the camp in prayer until he was executed by lethal injection.
