Saint Boniface, Bishop & Martyr

Let us stand fast in what is right and prepare our souls for trial. . . . Let us be neither dogs that do not bark nor silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf. --Saint Boniface

Boniface, baptized Winfrid or Wynfrith, determined at the age of five that he wanted to be a monk after listening to visitors from the monastery. He began his education when he was seven at the monastery school near Exeter and, at 14, graduated to the abbey at Benedictine Nursling (Hants) in Winchester. There he studied under Winbert, became a monk, and eventually became director of and popular teacher at the school. He wrote the first Latin grammar produced in England.

Wilfrid was ordained at age 30 and successfully taught and preached, but he wished to join Saint Willibrord as a missionary in Friesland. Having wrung a reluctant consent from his abbot, Winbert, he set out with two companions. His first missionary trip in the spring of 716 failed due to the ascendancy of the pagans and political conditions, so he returned to England that autumn. The monks at Nursling tried to make him stay by electing him abbot on the death of Winbert, but he refused because he knew that God was calling him to the mission field. In 718, he went to Pope Saint Gregory II in Rome, who commissioned Wilfrid to preach to the pagans in Germany and changed Wilfrid's name to Boniface.

Full of hope Boniface set out from Rome, crossed the lower Alps, and travelled through Bavaria to Hesse. He preached successfully in Hesse. Shortly after his arrival he was informed of the death of the pagan ruler Radbod. Hoping that he would have greater success if their leader were converted, Boniface returned to Friesland and worked with Willibrord. The ancient evangelist wanted to name Boniface his coadjutor and successor, but Boniface declined because his commission from the Vatican had been a general one, not confined to a particular diocese. Fearing that he might be persuaded to consent, Boniface returned to Hesse.

In 722, he was recalled to Rome and consecrated regionary bishop for Germany. Gregory gave him a special letter to deliver to the powerful Charles Martel. The delivery of this letter en route back to Germany won for him the valuable concession of a sealed pledge of protection from Martel.

Upon his arrival again in Hesse, Boniface decided to strike at the root of pagan superstition. He publicly announced in advance that he would at a particular time destroy their gods. The awestruck crowd at Geismar watched as he successfully cut down the sacred Oak of Thor, an object of pagan worship that stood on the summit of Mount Gudenberg near Fritzlar, without being struck down by their angry gods. The pagans, who had expected immediate judgment against such sacrilege, acknowledged that their gods were powerless to protect their own sanctuaries.

Having succeeded in Hesse, Boniface moved on to Thuringia, where he found a few Christians, including a few Celtic and Frankish priests, but they tended to be more of a hindrance than a help. Boniface established a monastery at Ohrdruf (near Gotha) to serve as a missionary center for Thuringia, and asked English monks and nuns to join him as missionaries to Germany. He found the people ready to listen, but they needed teachers to speak. For several years in succession, parties of monks and nuns crossed the sea to place themselves at the disposal of Boniface. The two existing monasteries were enlarged and new ones founded to accommodate all the missionaries. Among their numbers were Saint Lull, who succeeded Boniface in the see of Mainz; Saint Eoban, who shared Boniface's martyrdom; Saint Burchard, the first bishop of Würzburg; Saint Wigbert, abbot of Fritzlar; Saint Thecla, first abbess of Ochsenfürt Abbey; Saint Walburga, sister of Saints Willibald and Winebald; and Boniface's beautiful and erudite young cousin, Saint Lioba, who supervised all the convents founded from the monastery of Bischoffsheim.

In 731, having established several monasteries and dioceses, Boniface was sent the pallium by Pope Saint Gregory III and constituted metropolitan of Germany beyond the Rhine. He was authorized to create new sees and went to Bavaria to organize a church hierarchy and establish new sees. He became a mentor and support to the Carolingians, and he reformed the Frankish Church, which Charles Martel had plundered.

Boniface made a third journey to Rome to report on the progress being made. At that time he was appointed papal legate and recruited Saint Willibald at Monte Cassino. Returning to Bavaria as papal legate, Boniface organized its hierarchy, weeded out unworthy priests, and corrected abuses. Then he continued on with his missionary work, founding other sees at Erfurt for Thuringia, Buraburg for Hesse, and Würzburg for Franconia. Later he established a seat in Nordgau at Eichstätt.

The year 741 was a fruitful one. Boniface founded the abbey of Fulda with his young disciple, Saint Sturmi, and Charles Martel died, leaving the way open for Boniface to reach the ears of Pepin and Carloman, Martel's successors. Carloman was earnestly devout and venerated Boniface, so it was easy to convince him to call a synod to deal with abuses. The first was followed by a second in 743. Pepin summoned a synod for Gaul, which was succeeded in 745 by a general council for the two provinces. Boniface presided over all of them and succeeded in carrying out all the reforms he felt were needed. Fresh vigor was infused into the Church of Gaul. After the fifth Frankish council in 747, Boniface fixed his metropolitan see at Mainz and Pope Saint Zachary created him primate of Germany as well as apostolic legate for Germany and Gaul. Soon after this Carloman retired into a monastery and Pepin united Gaul under one rule; however, he continued to give Boniface the supported he needed. As papal legate Boniface crowned Pepin at Soissons.

Boniface's emblem is a book, pierced with a sword or ax. He may be shown (1) felling an oak tree in the presence of pagan priests; (2) with a miter and staff (White); (3) as an angel brings