Father Antonio Maria Glowinski was born at Galati (Romania) on 12th June 1892, son of Callisto and Antonietta Antonovici, who weren't well off, but distinguished themselves as exemplary and virtuous Christians.
     Since he was a small child, Antonio was accustomed, together with his sister Valeria, to stop every morning in the Parish Church: here they said the Rosary, they attended the Mass taking Communion, and then they went on to school.
     His sister would also become a religious, entering the Order of the Nuns of Our Lady of Sion.

He left to us:
     Few writings, pure and humble, where it is possible to notice that he made diligent and also painful efforts to correct himself from his faults: the excitable character, the self-esteem, the susceptibility; but also the courageous strength of his spiritual purposes, the resolute will to advance everyday in the perfection of the Saints and to be all of God. Therefore, he wasn't free from passions, but he emended them. "O Lord, to die rather than to be stained! I can do everything with God who helps me. My Mother, my confidence." 

- Father Kolbe:
"I'll never forget the simplicity, the purity of soul that shone through his face" (SK 1040). (SK 1040).

     Brother Antonio Maria Mansi was born in London on 9th March 1896, of a family that produced several friars for the Church.
     Good and pious since he was a child, he entered the Order of the Conventual Franciscan Friars at the age of 13, in Italy, where he had returned in 1905. He began his noviciate in Assisi and then his theological studies in the Seraphic College of Rome, where he met Friar Maximilian Kolbe; here, he pronounced his solemn profession on 19th March 1918.

     A learned man, he spoke English and French very well, besides knowing Latin and Greek; he also had a particular talent for singing and music, which he studied at the Papal Institute of Sacred Music. He avoided the enlistment in the First World War because he had a seriously defective sight, but he was struck by the "Spanish" influenza as well. Contracting it from assisting an infected friar, five days after Fr. Antonio Glowinski died.
     The last nine days of his life were a touching and edifying memory of his saintliness: they were days of continuous prayer, with the Crucifix in his hands, and the certainty that he was going soon to meet Fr. Glowinski.
     This way, with a song to Mary, on 31st October 1918 he gave back his soul to God. It was his cell in Rome where the first meeting of the Militia of the Immaculata was held.

As already for Fr. Glowinski, also for Brother Mansi - "a splendid soul" - Fr. Kolbe tried to gather information for a biography.

     He was born in 1987, in the world Arcangelo, at Sfruz, a small town in the province of Trento (Italy), where he lived until he was 13 years old. He then entered the College of Camposampiero (Padua - Italy), directed by the Conventual Franciscan friars. 
     A cheerful and open nature, he was liked by everybody, and he aroused in Fr.Kolbe also a special attention, at the International College of Rome, where they became "spiritual friends in the Immaculata". He carried out ordinary things in an extraordinary way and in perfect joy. Brother Girolamo, who also suffered of tuberculosis, took care of Brother Maximilian during his attacks of consumption. Moreover, he was the one who served the first Mass of Father Maximilian Mary Kolbe. 

     In the evening of the 16th October 1917, the momentous date of the first meeting of the M.I., Brother Girolamo Biasi acted as secretary. 
     The spirituality of this young man echoes the one of St. Maximilian: he also had entered the mystery of Mary. 
     Corroded by tuberculosis, he saw the possibility of priesthood becoming less and less possible. Meanwhile, he got a first class degree, with gold medal, in Philosophy at the Lateran Papal University. He began the course of Theology at the Gregorian University, in Rome, but he had to interrupt it very soon, because of the advance of the disease. Only thanks to the dispensation of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious he was ordained priest at last, in the Church of Mount Carmel in Padua, on 16th July 1922, liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He celebrated his first Mass on St. Anthony's tomb in Padua and then he was sent to a parish in Venice (Italy). But tuberculosis didn't give him any respite, so he was transferred from convents to hospitals, until his last destination, the hospital of Camposampiero, where he remained until he died. He was choked to death by his own blood in consequence of convulsion on 20th June 1929. 
     There are a lot of edifying episodes in his life, and many of them were told, after his death, also to Fr.Kolbe. His charity was without neither frontiers nor hours: often, when he was able to do it, he got up during the night to assist sick people. He went to Lourdes too, with the "Unitalsi" train ("Unione Nazionale Italiana Trasporto Ammalati Lourdes e Santuari Internazionali" Italian National Union which transports sick people to Lourdes and International Sanctuaries), hoping in a miraculous recovery, and he came back weaker in body, but with a more burning love for the Immaculata. The words of his diary are very touching: "You see it, O dear Mother, my miserable state. An incurable disease has slowly consumed me for nine years; I've been compelled to live far away from my beloved brethren for a long time, devoid of the sweetnesses of common life, being a weight and an expense for the Religion. Dear Mother, human treatments can't restore my full health by now, which is necessary to work in the celestial grapevine; but what would it cost You to heal me? Aren't You almighty by grace? If you just want it, I'll be healed. With the same faith of the sick people of the Gospel, I repeat to you: Mother, if You want it, You can heal me. Let me hear O Mother, those sweet words: I want it, be healed". 
     On his way back from Lourdes, he wrote: "I had the singular grace, O Mother, to come to pray to you in that blessed land, but, O Mother, I didn't deserve, because I didn't have much fervour and faith, to feel your presence, to cheer up for Your smile. I didn't feel the breath of your motherly love. O Mother and I ask Your pardon... If God wills me to suffer and to die slowly, let me suffer and die of love. O Mother, I want to become a saint, please help me". 
     No one of those who knew him could ever forget the expression of his "always sweet" face, gentle and good eyes, as a victim who serenely goes toward his fate, eager to sacrifice himself with Christ. He identified himself with St. Francis' words at the end of his life: "Let's begin to serve Our Lord, because until now we have done little, or nothing" (Celano, 2nd Book: 103):

     On 2nd February 1999, the Bishop of Treviso (Italy) Mgr. Paolo Magnani initiated the informative process for the Cause of Beatification and Canonisation of Fr. Girolamo Biasi.

     Born in Naples (Italy) in1888, he entered the Order after completing his Secondary education; he pronounced the religious profession in 1917 and was ordained priest in the following year. From there, he was sent to the religious Province of Naples and then in the Province of Abruzzo, at Lanciano. Subsequently, he lived in various convents, of which he was also superior, until he died at Tivoli at the age of 75 years old.
     Fr. Kolbe remembers many events that he lived together with Fr. Granata, and the most important of them was the priestly ordination at S. Andrea della Valle in Rome, a day that they spent most intensely together in pure Franciscan brotherhood in the Immaculate Mother, who smiled blessing these dearest sons of Her. Then, their first priestly work, in the afternoon of 28th April 1918, when they went together to visit a sick priest.

     In the occasion of the priestly ordination, Fr. Enrico remembers that Fr.Kolbe himself gave him the faculty of blessing the medals. Later, Fr. Granata and his brethren of the religious Province of Naples gave hospitality to Fr.Kolbe in the summer of 1919.
     Fr. Granata survived Fr. Kolbe's martyrdom and, on12th March 1962, he testified in the apostolic process of Padua for his cause of beatification, showing around his neck, with evident emotion, the Miraculous Medal that he received in the evening of the 16th October 1917 from Fr. Pal and Fr. Maximilian.
     He was a pious friar, industrious, cordial, of exemplary conduct.

     Born at Serrone (Frosinone - Italy) in 1891, he pronounced his solemn vows on 8th December 1913 and was ordained priest the following year. He was also a student of theology at the International College of Rome, he was among the co-founders of the M.I. chosen by Fr.Kolbe. In March 1918, he left for the military service, coming back a few months later for a long leave in his family. Then, he was assigned to the convent of Capranica at Sutri (Rome)

     Fr. Kolbe kept him constantly informed about the M.I: both from Rome, from where he sent him the Regulations so that he could look over it, and from Krakow. In 1937 we find Fr.Kolbe in Italy, visiting Fr. Pignalberi and entrusting him with the care of the M.I. in Italy. After getting his degree in philosophy and theology, he spent most of his priesthood as responsible for the formation of the young applicants to religious Franciscan life.
     An essentially contemplative spirit, he was given a very long life, meeting also the Holy Father John Paul II and, before him, His Holiness Paul VI, taking part both in the rite of the beatification, and in the rite of canonisation of Fr. Maximilian Mary Kolbe. He died at the age of 94 at Anzio, on 18th July 1982. 

     He was born on 6th October 1889, in a small town of Romania, of a family of honest and hard-working farmers, very religious and lovers of the Church. Firstborn of three sons.
     During the course at the seminary in Rome, in the International Seraphic College, he had the honour of meeting Brother Maximilian Maria Kolbe, with whom he created ties of spiritual friendship, becoming his confidant and counsellor, and then co-founder of the Militia of the Immaculata, being the first to sign the Statute and to bless the miraculous medals. He was also the first ecclesiastic Assistant of the M.I.

     When Fr. Pal went back to his country, he kept friendly relations with Fr.Kolbe imitating his virtues and the variety of his apostolic activity, together with a perfect devotion to the Immaculata. In 1923 he was appointed parish priest and in 1932 he was elected provincial Minister of the Franciscan Province "St. Joseph" in Romania, holding both these offices until his death. He was a very active man, he performed a lot of works: he erected a monumental church for his parishioners; he built an officially recognised Secondary or High School for the young students and a modern seminary for the applicants to the religious Franciscan life.
     He was a very learned man. So much that he wrote in two volumes "The Catholic origin of Moldavia", which, demonstrated the Latin origin of Rumanian Catholics, was useful in saving many of his compatriots from deportation: for this work he deserved the title of "defender of the Moldavian people".
     Missionary of wide ecumenical initiatives, he opened in Transilvania a mission of Catholic Byzantine rite, promoting in every way the union of the Orthodox Church with the Roman Church.
     He fell victim of his heroic pastoral charity, on 21st June 1947, assisting a person suffering of typhoid. He passed away saintly, singing "Salve Regina" and "Sub tuum praesidium", gazing at the image of his "dearest Immaculate Mummy".
     Fr. Pietro Giuseppe Pal was a leading Franciscan, civil and ecclesial figure and he can be considered, rightly, a model for the Assistants of the Militia of the Immaculata.