Auschwitz-Birkenau

Today was a sobering day reflecting on the tragic killing of over 1.2 million human beings at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.  We saw photos of the denigration, humiliation, hardship and suffering of those who were sent to this prison camp.  On average, Russian prisoners lived here for only 3 weeks, Catholic priests for 2 weeks and Jews who could gainfully work, 6 months.  The conditions were repugnant, lacking any sense of human dignity or worth.  Many people were rounded up on trains, told that they were going to be relocated but, once they arrived, they were stripped of all personal property, clothing, shoes and even combs and brushes.  Their hair was cut and over 3 tons of human hair was used for the weaving of fabric.  
Labels were used to distinguish political prisoners (among them, priests), Jews, Russian prisoners, gypsies, homosexuals, etc.  Each prisoner, early on, was photographed from 3 positions.  Later, when that proved to be too expensive, prisoners were tattooed with numbers to distinguish them.  

Edith Stein, (Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), Viator Frankl, and St. Maximilian Kolbe, all died in this camp.  We stopped and prayed at the very spot where Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward to sacrifice his life for Franciszek Gajowniczek, a Polish prisoner, husband and father who was spared from starvation because of Kolbe.  Today in the homily, Fr. Richard Samide said that when Kolbe offered to starve and die in his place the man asked, “And who are you?”  Kolbe responded, “A Catholic priest.”  Kolbe would die about 2 weeks later from starvation.  His cell is depicted below.

We also visited Birkenau which was often referred to as, “Auschwitz II.”  This was a much larger camp with several cremation ovens most of which were destroyed by either Germans trying to hide evidence or by local authorities.  

We concluded the day with Mass at a Franciscan friary close to Birkenau where we prayed for all those who suffered the atrocities at Auschwitz-Birnekau and for all victims of violence.