page_title: Maximilian Kolbe
section_title: Canonization
hierarchical_section_title: Maximilian Kolbe / Canonization
caption_attribution_description: English: Martyrs on the façade of Westminster Abbey, London. left to right: Maximilian Kolbe, Manche Masemola, and Janani Luwum. See also: en:List of architectural sculpture in Westminster#Westminster Abbey Français&#160;: Martyrs sur la façade de la Westminster Abbey à Londres Manche Masemola entre Maximilian Kolbe et Janani Luwum
context_page_description: Maximilian Kolbe, venerated as Saint Maximilian Kolbe, was a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II. He had been active in promoting the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, founding and supervising the monastery of Niepokalanów near Warsaw, operating an amateur-radio station, and founding or running several other organizations and publications.
  On 10 October 1982 Pope John Paul II canonized Father Kolbe and declared him a martyr of charity. The Catholic Church venerates him as the patron saint of amateur-radio operators, of drug addicts, of political prisoners, of families, of journalists, of prisoners, and of the pro-life movement. John Paul II declared him "The Patron Saint of Our Difficult Century". His feast day is 14 August, the day of his death.
  Due to Kolbe's efforts to promote consecration and entrustment to Mary, he is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary.
context_section_description: On 12 May 1955 Kolbe was recognized by the Holy See as a Servant of God. Kolbe was declared venerable by Pope Paul VI on 30 January 1969, beatified as a Confessor of the Faith by the same Pope in 1971, and canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II on 10 October 1982. Upon canonization, the Pope declared St. Maximilian Kolbe as a confessor, and a martyr of charity. The miracles that were used to confirm his beatification were the July 1948 cure of intestinal tuberculosis in Angela Testoni, and in August 1950, the cure of calcification of the arteries/sclerosis of Francis Ranier; both attributed to Kolbe's intercession by their prayers to him.
  After his canonization, a feast day for St. Maximilian Kolbe was added to the General Roman Calendar. He is one of ten 20th-century martyrs who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Anglican Westminster Abbey, London.
caption: The statue of Kolbe (left) above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey
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