The Ave Maria Village chapter of the Militia will be celebrating its first birthday on Dec. 3. Established in 2004 by Christine Rossi, a parishioner of Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa, Kan., the prayer group has attracted more than 20 people in its first year.

The Militia of the Immaculata was originally founded by Conventual Franciscan Friar Maximilian Kolbe in Rome. On Oct 16, 1917, Friar Kolbe and six companions founded the Militia prayer group with the aim of "converting sinners, heretics and schismatics, particularly freemasons, and bringing all men to love Mary Immaculate."

At that point it did not have approval by the church nor canonical standing.

Friar Kolbe was ordained a priest in 1918, and returned to Poland a year later, where he founded the friary called Niepokalanow, City of the Immaculate, in 1927.

The Militia had been declared a "Pious Union" by Cardinal Basil Pompilii, Vicar General of Rome, in the name of Pope Benedict XV, in 1922, and received full canonical approval by Pope Pius XI in 1926. By 1939, the Militia had more than 750 members, laymen and clergy, and the Conventual Franciscan fathers had consecrated themselves to Mary Immaculate.

Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany on Sept. 1, 1939. Father Kolbe and 35 others were arrested and imprisoned on Sept. 9. They were released on Dec. 8 and returned to the friary the following day.

In February 1941, Father Kolbe was arrested again, imprisoned and tortured. In May he was transferred to Auschwitz.

In the last days of July 1941, the prison commandment selected 10 prisoners to die by starvation in retaliation for the escape of another prisoner in their cell block.

A young father lamented that he wouldn't be able to bid his wife and children goodbye. Hearing that, Father Kolbe offered to take his place, and the offer was accepted. Father Kolbe was killed on Aug. 14.

Pope John Paul II canonized Father Kolbe on Oct. 10, 1982.

Today there are more than 4 million members of the Militia of the Immaculata worldwide. In the United States, about 27,000 members, both laity and religious, are consecrated to and try to imitate Mary, in prayer and daily life, Rossi said. The U.S. headquarters of the Militia is at Marytown, the national shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Libertyville, Ill.

"You try to imitate Mary. Believe me, it's a life-long effort. But statistics show that more young people enter the priesthood or religious life when they are consecrated to Mary Immaculate. [Militia of the Immaculata] youth are taking a walk in holiness," she said.

Rossi, who is married and the mother of three daughters, said the Ave Maria Village (individual Militia prayer organizations are called "villages" in relation to the larger Niepokalanow, City of the Immaculate, in Poland) draws members from both the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. It meets on the first Saturday of the month at Redemptorist Social Services Center in midtown Kansas City.

Father Pat Tobin, who worked with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, is slated to be the slide show presenter for the anniversary celebration on Dec. 3. There will also be a potluck meal.

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