A Priest Stepped Out of Line at Auschwitz—and Asked to Take a Fellows Place #kolbe

Ten prisoners at Auschwitz were selected to die by starvation after another prisoner escaped. One of them was Polish army sergeant Franciszek Gajowniczek. When his number was called, he cried out for his wife and children. Then another prisoner stepped out of line. He hadn't been selected. He was already sick, had been beaten, and at Auschwitz his name had been replaced by a number: 16670. His name was Maximilian Kolbe. The 47-year-old Catholic priest approached the SS officer and asked to take Gajowniczek's place. Somehow, the request was accepted. ▶️ Watch the full story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe on Crown & Palm Chronicles to discover what happened after prisoner 16670 voluntarily walked toward Auschwitz's starvation bunker. #MaximilianKolbe #Auschwitz #CatholicSaints #CatholicHistory #SaintMaximilianKolbe