This Polish saint was born in 1894 in the Kingdom of Poland. When he was twelve years old, Our Lady appeared to him and presented him with two crowns — purity and martyrdom — and asked him which one he wanted. Maximilian said he wanted both and Our Lady agreed. After he was ordained at 24, Maximilian founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight the evil of religous indifference with the witness of the good life, prayer, work, and suffering. He also began the Knight of the Immaculata, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News.
 
In 1936, the Germans invaded Poland. Maximilian, however, continued publishing his religious writings from his monastery until 1941, when the Nazis closed down the monastery and arrested Maximilian and the other friars. He was sent to Auschwitz, the most deadly of the concentration camps where he and the other prisoners endured sub-human treatment.
 
Soon, a prisoner made a successful escape and twenty men were chose at random to die in the starvation bunker. One of the men begged to be excused as he had a family he needed to take care of. Maximilian had not been chosen but was so moved by the man’s pleading that he stepped forward and offered his life instead. The Nazis were delighted at this turn of events and marched them all off to the cell. For ten days, Maximilian ministered to his fellow men as they died and was the last one alive when the Nazis came and injected him with carbolic acid to hasten his death.
 
This print is part of the "Happy Saint" collection by Anna Morelli.
 
The image is professionally printed, hand-signed by the artist, and comes enclosed in a plastic sleeve to ensure protection.