Items Needed For Childress Kolbe Prison Retreat

Amarillo—The final Kolbe Prison Retreat this year is taking place in Childress Thursday, Nov. 29 through Saturday, Dec. 1 at the T.L. Roach Unit and several items for the retreat are still needed, according to Deacon Andy Gonzalez, diocesan Prison Ministry Coordinator.
 
“We are in need of cookies and fresh fruit, especially oranges, apples and bananas,” he said. “We are also in need of Bibles, copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other handouts for our retreat.”

St. Maximilian Kolbe is the Patron Saint of Prisoners, according to Deacon Gonzalez. St. Maximilian was a Polish Conventual Franciscan Friar who was sent to Auschwitz during World War II in 1941. When Nazi guards selected ten people to be put into a underground bunker to be starved to death in punishment for a prisoner escaping in July 1941, Father Kolbe volunteered to die in place of one of the men selected, Franciszek Gajowniczek. Father Kolbe died Aug. 14, 1941 after a lethal injection of carbolic acid. He was canonized as a Saint by Pope (now Saint) John Paul II on Oct. 10, 1982.

To make a contribution of cookies, fruit or other needs for the retreat, please call Deacon Gonzalez at 463-0262, Kent Hoelting at 679-1725 or Mike Hales at 881-2592. The Kolbe Prison Ministry is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are charitable donations for tax purposes.