Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, The Great Martyr of the 20th Century

As Hillsdale students approach my desk on the fourth floor of Delp Hall, several things stand or sit between me and them. There's the huge desk, of course. But, on the desk sits a lamp, some books, a MacBook, and a small figurine of a monk, one of his hands broken off. 

Some of my own knowledge of the figurine itself is foggy, as I no longer remember why his hand is missing. I do know that I purchased the figurine at a nunnery in Ohio many years ago.

The figurine is of one of my great heroes, a Catholic saint and priest. I almost always get the same reaction from my students. Typically, they pick him up and say something like "Oh, I like your monk action figure, Dr. Birzer." Usually, a slight but sympathetic laugh or giggle accompanies the question as they continue to examine the figure.