St. Maximilian Kolbe Novena – 9 Days of Prayer
Novena to the Franciscan friar who gave his life in place of a stranger at Auschwitz
St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Franciscan who, at Auschwitz in 1941, volunteered to die in place of a stranger. He is the patron of prisoners and of those struggling with addiction. This novena asks for his courage and charity. His feast is August 14. After a prisoner escaped, ten men were chosen to starve, and Kolbe volunteered to take the place of one who had a family. He was canonised in 1982. The novena is a good prayer for those facing sacrifice, and it reminds us that love is stronger than despair. It can be offered for prisoners everywhere.
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer. Begin nine days before the feast (August 14) and finish on its eve. You can pray this novena at any time of year.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle PlaySt. Maximilian Kolbe Novena – prayer for all nine days
Intention: For Prisoners, Those Struggling with Addiction, and the Virtue of Sacrificial Love
St. Maximilian Kolbe, Franciscan friar and martyr of charity, you stepped forward in the death block of Auschwitz to take the place of a stranger — a man with a wife and children — and offered your own life instead.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, knight of the Immaculate, I come to you in my weakness. You faced the worst that human evil could devise and responded with love. You spent your final days in a starvation bunker leading your fellow prisoners in prayer and song until your death on August 14, 1941.
You wrote: 'The most deadly poison of our times is indifference.' Lord, save me from indifference — to the suffering of others, to my own sin, to the needs of those around me.
(Pause here to mention your intentions)
St. Maximilian, pray for all who are imprisoned — in cells, in addiction, in shame, in fear. Pray for those who feel that no one would step forward for them. Step forward for me now. Obtain the grace I seek in this novena, and help me to love with your heroic, reckless generosity.
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...
St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.
Pray this prayer once a day for nine days in a row.
Traditional Catholic Devotional Prayer · Feast Day: August 14. Canonized 1982 by St. John Paul II as Martyr of Charity
More novenas
- St. Jude Novena
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena
- St. Joseph Novena
- St. Therese Novena
- St. Anthony of Padua Novena
- St. Rita Novena
Frequently asked questions
When should I start the St. Maximilian Kolbe Novena?
Begin on August 5 to end on August 13, the eve of his feast on August 14.
How do I pray the St. Maximilian Kolbe Novena?
Pray the daily prayer once a day, naming a person who needs hope.
Who is the St. Maximilian Kolbe Novena for?
It is for prisoners, people in recovery, families and anyone seeking courage.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle Play