A Saint Behind Prison Walls: CIS Boram Celebrates 30 Years Under St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe
- Admin
- 21 hours ago
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WEWAK - On Sunday, 9 August, the Correctional Institution Service (CIS) at Boram gathered to celebrate the Patron Feast of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe — a Polish Franciscan priest and martyr whose life continues to speak powerfully to people living and working in correctional settings.
The celebration also marked 30 years since the dedication of the CIS Wewak chapel and its services to St. Maximilian Kolbe as its patron.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Wewak, Bishop Jozef Roszynski, SVD, was invited by the Parish Priest, Fr. Stanis Skrydalewicz, SAC, to preside at the anniversary Mass. Concelebrating with the Bishop was Fr. Lawrence Arokiaraj, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (CBC PNGSI), while Deacon Janusz Namyslak, SAC, assisted.
The chapel was crowded beyond capacity, with 345 inmates in attendance as well as a large number of community members from the surrounding area who came for the glorious occasion. St. Maximilian is held up as a witness and a reminder that even in prison, holiness, mercy, courage, and transformation remain possible.
A Feast Rooted in Memory and Hope
The Patron Feast was more than an annual religious observance. It was a moment of thanksgiving, remembrance, and renewed commitment. For three decades, Boram Correctional Services has looked to St. Maximilian Kolbe as a spiritual guide: a saint who knew imprisonment, suffering, injustice, and fear, yet responded with extraordinary love.
The Story of St. Maximilian Kolbe
St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894 and became a Conventual Franciscan friar and priest. During the Second World War, he was imprisoned in Auschwitz, where he became known not only for his faith but for an act of self-giving love that has inspired generations. His feast day in the Catholic Church is observed on 14 August, the anniversary of his death in 1941.
The Martyr of Mercy
In Auschwitz, following a prisoner’s escape, camp authorities selected ten men to die by starvation as punishment. One of those chosen was Franciszek Gajowniczek, a husband and father, who cried out for mercy for the sake of his family. St. Maximilian stepped forward and offered to take his place. In doing so, he gave his life for a man he did not know personally, embodying the Gospel call to lay down one’s life for another.
For this reason, St. Maximilian is often remembered as the Martyr of Charity, and in the context of Boram’s celebration, he may also be described as a Martyr of Mercy — someone who answered cruelty with compassion, despair with hope, and death with love.
Why His Patronage Matters at Boram
Thirty years ago, Boram Correctional Services chose St. Maximilian Kolbe as its patron because his witness speaks directly to the reality of prison life. He reminds us that imprisonment does not erase human dignity. It does not remove the possibility of conversion. It does not silence the call to holiness. His life tells every person, especially those behind bars, that no place is beyond the reach of grace.
A Message for Today
In his homily, Bishop Joe said the celebration at CIS Boram invites reflection on mercy in practical terms. For prisoners, St. Maximilian’s life is a sign that change is possible and that a person is never defined only by failure, sentence, or shame.
For staff and families, his witness calls for patience, compassion, justice, and hope. For the wider community, it challenges any attitude that forgets the dignity of those in prison.
As CIS Boram marks 30 years under the patronage of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, the feast becomes a renewed invitation to live mercy with courage. His story began in one of history’s darkest places, but it continues to shine wherever people choose compassion over indifference and hope over despair.
In honouring him, Boram honours the belief that even within prison walls, a person may discover the path to sainthood.
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