St Maximilian Kolbe is the Patron of Families, Drug Addicts, Prisoners, Journalists, and the pro-life movement.
Feast Day: August 14

THIS NOVENA CAN BE PRAYED ANY TIME OF THE YEAR

St Maximilian was born Raimund Kolbe in 1894 of a Polish mother and a German father.
In 1914 his father was hanged by the Russian army after fighting for an independent Poland. As a child, St Maximilian had a vision of the Blessed Virgin who offered him the crown of purity or the crown of martyrdom. He chose both.

He first wanted to join the army, but entered the novitiate of the Franciscans in Rome where he took the name Maximilian Maria.
After his ordination he founded a “village” of religious dedicated to Mary Immaculate and a small religious newspaper which became hugely influential in Poland. In 1930 he and four companions went to Japan where they worked for six years. St Maximilian suffered from poor health, particularly from tuberculosis, all the time he was there but did not think of giving up.

Soon after his return to Poland, the country was invaded by the Nazis and he was arrested, and was eventually sent to Auschwitz. He ministered to his fellow prisoners before finally offering his life in exchange for that of a married man who was one of then prisoners sentenced to be locked up and left to starve to death.
Fr Maximilian encouraged the other prisoners in his death cell, and announced the Gospel even as they all starved to death.
Finally only he was left alive and was murdered by lethal injection, accepting death with peace.

FIRST DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, when still a child you entrusted your future to the Mother of God and accepted the crowns of purity and martyrdom.
Help us to learn to be generous with our lives in the service of God.
We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

SECOND DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, you had a great love of the military and thought of joining the army but instead began the Militia Immaculata to work for the conversion of sinners.
We remember all those who serve in the armed forces and their families.
We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

THIRD DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, you began a small religious newspaper which led to an upsurge of faith amongst your countrymen.
May we too realise that nothing we do is too small for God to use. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

FOURTH DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, you had such a zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel that you went to Japan with no money and no word of the language and what you built is now the centre of the Franciscan province there.
May we share in your zeal to announce the Good News through our words and our lives.
We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

FIFTH DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, when the Nazis had invaded your country and you were under suspicion you said, “No one in the world can change truth”.
May we hold firm to the one who is the Truth, Jesus Christ. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be

SIXTH DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, in prison you were asked whether you believed in Christ and were beaten every time you said you did.
You persevered in your witness. May we still hold fast to Christ even in suffering or pain, and if we are persecuted for that belief may we have the courage not to desert him. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

SEVENTH DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, even when you were sent to Auschwitz you did not abandon your vocation as priest.
Although you were beaten almost to death you still heard confessions and spoke of Christ’s love.
We ask you to give us something of your conviction and courage in the face of the sufferings of our lives.
We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

EIGHTH DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, when a fellow prisoner was sentenced to death by starvation you volunteered to take his place: to die so that he had a chance of life.
May we always remember the words of our Lord, “he who loses his life for my sake shall find it” and give us the courage to lose our lives in whatever way is asked of us. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

NINTH DAY:
Dear St Maximilian, because you were killed by an injection of carbolic acid, you are the patron of drug users.
We pray for all those who suffer this terrible addiction and for their families.
May they have the courage and help they need to turn their lives around.
We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

HEALING PRAYERS: POWERFUL PRAYERS FOR OVERCOMING SERIOUS ILLNESS AND HEALING THE SICK

[wysija_form id=”2″]