Thursday, August 14, 2014

'St.Maximillian Kolbe prayed here a lot before his death at Auschwitz' : feast today

I was at Mass yesterday evening at the Church of St.Andre della Fratti when after Mass the priest made a brief announcement pointing to the marble white bust of St.Maximillian Kolbe. 'St.Maximillian Kolbe prayed here a lot before his death at Auschwitz. Tomorrow (August 14,Thursday) is his feast day' said the priest in Italian at the conclusion of the Holy Mass by way of an announcement. It was at the Altar of the Miracle at the Church of St.Andrea della Frate, Rome, where St.Maximillian Kolbe came often. This was the altar where Alphonse Ratisbonne, the Jewish financier converted into the Catholic Church after he saw an extraordinary vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.In a flash she showed him the beauty of the Catholic Church and its necessity for salvation. He became a priest and founded two missionary communities. It was at this altar that St.Maximillian Kolbe came and prayed when he was studying in Rome. He also offered his First Mass there. The priest of the Minim Order who offered Holy Mass last evening mentioned that the saint would come there and pray a lot often.It was the place where Heaven touched the earth. -Lionel Andrades

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