Why I named my son Maximilian

Maximilian 

On July 14th 2010, Maximilian Joseph Gallaher was brought into the world by Robyn Jordan and Joseph Gallaher Jr. We had decided to name our son Maximilian Joseph simply because I got to pick his first name and she got to have his middle name, which ended up being my fathers name so it worked out just great for me :)

Max's 1st Christmas pictures

   

  

 St. Maximilian Kolbe  

Maximilian was born in 1894 in Poland and became a Franciscan. He contracted tuberculosis and, though he recovered, he remained frail all his life. Before his ordination as a priest,Maximilian founded the Immaculata Movement devoted to Our Lady. After receiving a doctorate in theology, he spread the Movement through a magazine entitled "The Knight of the Immaculata" and helped form a community of 800 men, the largest in the world.

Maximilian went to Japan where he built a comparable monastery and then on to India where he furthered the Movement. In 1936 he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. But in 1941 he was arrested again and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz.

On July 31, 1941, in reprisal for one prisoner's escape, ten men were chosen to die. Father Kolbe offered himself in place of a young husband and father. And he was the last to die, enduring two weeks of starvation, thirst, and neglect. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982. His feast day is August 14th.

I went to Charlotte around the end of September 2011 and spent 3 weeks with Max

                                               

   

               

              Do you remember growing up and having to read at least one Saints book per semester and doing a book report on that saint??? Well if you didn't then I'm sorry because my mother cared wayyyyy to much for my faith and my education then yours did. ;) just kidding, but thanks Mom! But unlike most kids I had to be the rebellious one of the family and just beg and plead mom until she would let me read and write about St. Maximilian Kolbe time and time again. And from the very beginning I always knew that someday my son would be named Maximilian, not only because his remarkable life of sacrifice and complete dedication to God and the Virgin Mary, but also its just an awesome name to have! When I first found out I was going to be a father of a boy, I instantly wanted to name him Maximilian and call him Max for short. I think the most influential part of that decision is because of the lasting impact that St. Maximilian Kolbe's life and example had one me growing up and into my young adult life. Since I've had Max I have read several in depth documentary books on St. Maximilian Kolbe and every page and minute detail of his life especially up until the day he gave his life so a father could be there to raise his family has made me more and more grafetul that St, Maximilian Kolbe, from heaven, reached out and helped me give my son the best name possible. I know one day Max will be amazingly awesome just like his namesake Saint Maximilian Kolbe........

I toke Max to a Pumpkin Patch and he had a Blast running around to all the different pumpkins

The petting Zoo in Lake Norman, NC

As you all may not know, I have recently moved to Charlotte to be closer to my son Maximilian. And I can honestly say with all my heart that I have need been happier then to get the opportunity to spend time with my son. He is absolutely the best little boy that I could possibly have ever been so blessed as to be his father. These pictures below are the most recent ones that I have taken since living in Charlotte.

                                                                         

              Max's Snacks!!!!!

 The most recent professional pictures taken of Max and I. We took these a couple days before his birthday so that makes him 2 and myself 24 in this pic.