Anthony D’Ambrosio

I grew up Catholic. I had gone through seminary. I was a youth minister and worship leader. I fell in love and heard from God, more clearly than I had ever heard before- that I was going to get married to this woman. Then, before we got engaged, an undiagnosed infection upended my life and relationship.

I had unending nights to stay awake and think. I was looking at the shambles of my life, and I was faced with a profound question about God: if I had heard Him wrong about the girl, then what of all the other times I thought I had heard from God. My faith unraveled. I couldn’t believe in God or the church.

However, during the long nights of suffering that followed I found myself reflecting on the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe, not from the perspective of the man who Kolbe saved, but from the perspective of the men who didn’t get the happy ending who Kolbe joined and suffered with for 14 days. It was his example of hope, compassion, accompaniment, that moved me so deeply and that began to soften my heart and paved the way for reengaging with a new faith.