Thank you to Mr. Sieve's Third Block Bearing Witness Class for helping with this post.As a child of the 70s and 80s in St. Louis I often attended the Saturday Afternoon quickie-Mass at Saint Hedwig Parish. I always found this small modern church uninspiring. My home parish of Saint Anthony of Padua, built in 1908 in the Dutchtown neighborhood of South St. Louis is one of the largest and most beautiful churches that I know.
But Saint Hedwig had a quicker Mass and my Aunts brought me there from a young age. Toting several of my dozens of cousins, we were often late for the popular, crowded Mass. So sitting in the last pew, I was often paying more attention to one of the only statues in this modern church building.
It took me years to be able to read the English version of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe's name, much less the Polish letterings that were on the statue of the friar on the back wall.
I knew Franciscan Friars from my home parish, Saint Anthony. But I did not understand why this statue was at Saint Hedwig's, a parish with non-religious, diocesan priests. Looking back now, I realize how proud this Polish-American community must have been of their "countryman" who was in the process of being canonized.
Whenever I think of Polish Saints, I do not think automatically of Hedwig or Stanislaus or even Faustina as some do. Maxmilian, middle name Mary, Kolbe OFM is my guy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe
I am inspired by his sacrifice
2 comments:
The song "sacrifice" was a touching song. the way she expressed herself buy the tone of her voice mad the song more listenable. I believe that this song reflects to the topics about jewish people sacrificing their onw life for what they believe in. in my thoughts, this song says to me that sacrificing you own life for someone else makes you a saint.
This post was touch, and valuable. It shows that in these situations, the altruism of people is expressed most clearly. I think sacrificing yourself for someone does make you a saint but make you remembered by the one that you save.
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