St. Maximilian was born in Poland on January 8, 1894 as Raymond Kolbe . In 1910, he entered the Conventual Franciscan Order and took on the name of Maximilian. He founded the Militia Immaculata movement on October 16, 1917 to promote consecration to Mary.  He was sent to study in Rome where he was ordained a priest in 1918. While studying in Rome he contracted tuberculosis, which afflicted him all his life.    Father Maximilian returned to Poland in 1919 and began spreading his Militia of the Immaculata movement of Marian consecration (whose members are also called MIs).  To spread his movement, he and his friars utilized modern printing techniques, which enabled them to publish countless catechetical phamplets, a daily newspaper and a monthly magazine. Maximilian also started a shortwave radio station to spread the movement.  During World War II he was arrested twice by the Nazis and eventually was sent to Auschwitz.  On August 14, 1941 he was executed after spending 2 weeks in a starvation bunker with nine other prisoners.  He had volunteered to take the place of a father of a family.  Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian in 1982 and declared him a martyr of charity.