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Today is the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe!
He is my son Booboo’s patron and one very awesome saint. He is a ‘modern’ saint, of the twentieth century, completely devoted to Mary and a Franciscan. But what St. Maximilan is known for is his sacrifice, his martrydom of charity. St. Maximilian was sent to Auschwitz Concentration camp, for being a Catholic and a priest. After ministering to his fellow prisoners during his time there, sick and hungry as the rest, Maximilian made the ultimate sacrifice: he stepped forward and volunteered to go to his death in order to spare a father of a family from this fate. St. Maximilian went to his death in a father’s place; dying after two weeks of forced starvation and ultimately, an injection of carbolic acid (and forgiving the one who gave him that shot as he was injected). As such, not only is he a hero, among many other things, he is the patron of families.
We are big on family here around the coffeeblog. And we have been praying a novena to St. Maximilian on behalf of one special family who had a court date today. And, let me just say that I think St. Maximilian was listening and had pity and prayed for this family to be united. Because they passed court!!! And the prayers of a righteous man, a saint and patron of families, who knows from sacrificial living, are worth much. So, thank you St. Maximilian, for your patronage of my son, and for your prayers for this family!
Happy feast day Booboo!
St. Maximilian Kolbe, thank you for your prayers! 
Another Espresso, Please 
>Thank you thank you thank you! For your prayers and your support!
>A great saint, indeed!I believe St. Maximilian died of starvation and dehydration. He was placed in a tiny, windowless dungeon with 10 other men and after two weeks was the last one to succumb to death (after ministering to all the rest). Quite a feat when you think of how frail he was from TB throughout his life. St. Max, pray for us.Zoewww.chasingsaints.wordpress.com
>Zoe, you are right! In my usual hasty manner, I hadn't remembered it well. Thanks for the reminder and, as ever, the comment! (and I don't know if I knew of the TB part, so thank you for new info). M
>Hi -I got connected to your blog through someone else's (can't remember who at this point), but we are waiting for a referral of a little boy from Ethiopia now. I've loved stalking.. oops, I meant READING your blog.Our son is named Maximilian Kolbe after one of our favorites. After unsuccessful months of trying to conceive, we turned to him for his intercession, and I found out I was pregnant with our son on his feast day! He's a great intercessor, I've always thought. Thanks for the great post!Caeli
>I so agree with you. St. Maximilian is very dear in our family. My heart swells thinking of him. Great post!!