“Is it possible for there to be a world without saints? Of course yes, but who would like to live in such a place?! We would certainly be looking for a different, more friendly place. Saints encourage us “to become established” in our surrounding reality in which, despite its many problems, it is possible to find kindness and love. Man can carry out heroic actions, overcome his own weaknesses and ascend the heights of excellence. An example of this is St. Maximilian Kolbe who made history as “someone who believed that love could be a creator and that is able to soar high above hate, and even achieve victory”, so wrote Father Zdzislaw J. Kijas, in the foreword to the publication of “Love is a gift.”
Maximilian Kolbe was the first Pole canonized after World War II on October 10th, 1982 by Pope John Paul II. As bishop and cardinal of Krakow, the Pope supported the naming of Father Maximilian to be among the fellowship of saints. This saint becomes an important figure in the history of Blessed John Paul II’s Pontificate because more important to the Polish Pope was Father Kolbe’s spiritual message that love is stronger than all acts of aggression. Example of which for John Paul II was to forgive the man who shot him in 1981, Ali Aqca.
The moving testimony of the Martyr of Auschwitz, and admiration for his heroic sacrifice became an inspiration for many people to create works of art. The fruits of this creativity were offered to the Pope during various meetings over time. Today, these works are kept as a memorial at the Centre for Documentation and Pontificate of John Paul II in Rome. They make up an interesting collection, documenting the events of the pontificate and with it Polish history. They are also an expression and reflection on the life of Father Maximilian.
In recognition of this year’s 30th anniversary of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s canonization, the Documentation Center has published a catalog of collected exhibits of memorabilia of the Holy Martyr. In the publication, “Love is a gift”, ninety exhibits from various fields of art have been presented, including paintings, prints, sculptures and bas-reliefs, as well as artistic cloths. There are also badges, a large collection of medals, and book-plates.
It is worth mentioning that the first works showing the figure of Father Maximilian in the collections of the Centre of Rome were presented as a series of articles in “The Immaculate Knight for the Polish Diaspora” in 2002-2004. The current version of an album has been added to and rewritten. Photos of individual exhibits are accompanied by a description containing information about their artistic value, how they came about, *and the place and date when they were given to Blessed John Paul II. The relics are exhibited permanently at the Polish Home in Rome at Via Cassia 1200. To find out more information about this publication please write to: info@jp2doc.org
JK and AD Rome