Saint Boniface of Mainz is often called The Apostle of Germany. Named Winfrith by his well-to-do English parents, Boniface was born probably near Exeter, Devon, England. As a boy, he studied in Benedictine monastery schools and became a monk himself in the process. For years he lived in relative peace, studying, teaching, and praying. In his early 40s he left the seclusion of the monastery to do missionary work on the Continent. Because his first efforts in Frisia (now the Netherlands) were unsuccessful, Winfrith went to Rome in search of direction. Pope Gregory II renamed him Boniface, “doer of good,” and delegated him to spread the gospel message in Germany.
In 719 the missionary monk set out on what was to be a very fruitful venture. He made converts by the thousands. Once in Saxony, Boniface encountered a tribe worshiping a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took up an axe, and without a word he hacked down the six foot wide wooden god. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, “How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.”
In 722 the Pope consecrated him bishop for all of Germany. For 30 years Boniface worked to reform and organize the Church, linking the various local communities firmly with Rome. He enlisted the help of English monks and nuns to preach to the people, strengthen their Christian spirit, and assure their allegiance to the pope. He founded the monastery of Fulda, now the yearly meeting place of Germany’s Roman Catholic bishops. About 746 Boniface was appointed archbishop of Mainz, where he settled for several years as head of all the German churches.
Over the years he kept up an extensive correspondence, asking directives of the popes, giving information about the many Christian communities, and relaying to the people the popes’ wishes. In 752, as the pope’s emissary, he crowned Pepin king of the Franks. In his 80s and still filled with his characteristic zeal, Boniface went back to preach the gospel in Frisia. There, in 754 near the town of Dokkum, Boniface and several dozen companions were waylaid by a group of savage locals and put to death. His remains were later taken to Fulda, where he was revered as a martyr to the Christian faith.
Boniface was a man of action, but he was also sensitive to the feelings of those with whom he came in contact. His organizing genius and loyalty to Rome influenced Germany’s Christianity for centuries.
Photo credit: Xenophon via Wikimedia Commons
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Your house is valueble for me. Thanks!?
St. Boniface please help my son get the job he’s been praying for, bless and protect us Amen.
St Boniface pray for all Filipino families that they may all be one in faith…
St Boniface please pray for Gelin Regis to come here to the UK to live with his wife and children and live a family life all together Amen
Please pray for me…esp my health n my family. .bless n protect us….amen
For my personal intentions, may they find favor in the eyes of the Lord, praying in the name of Jesus Christ who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
He can hardly be considered sensitive to the feelings of those with whom he came in contact, if when meeting a tribe who worship a tree, he takes up an axe, and hacks it down. The, standing on the trunk says; “How stands your mighty god?
No wonder he ended up being killed by those he came into contact with.
[…] UCatholic tells the story this way: “Once in Saxony, Boniface encountered a tribe worshiping a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took up an axe, and without a word he hacked down the six foot wide wooden god. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, ‘How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.'” […]
So great a saint of our days, continue as doer of good deeds
Please help in achieving conversions in my family.
St. Boniface, pray for us.
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Saint Boniface, pray for us!
St. Boniface was a man of action. We pray for being men/women of action.
St. Boniface, pray for the Bishops.
SAINT. BONIFACE,,,,,,,,PRAY. FOR. OUR. WORLD !!!!!!!!!!!AND. MAY. YOU. GUIDE. THOSE. WHO TAKE. THE……
LIVES….OF…OTHERS….FOR…THEIR. OWN …….GRATIFICATION !!!!!!!! SAINT. BONIFACE……..A….DOER…OF…….
GOOD……DEEDS……………ENTER….INTO…THE….HEARTS….OF…..OTHERS !!!!!!!!!
Saint Boniface of Mainz, “doer of good,” pray for us.
St. Boniface, bless my former neighbours, when I was a child, who gave my parents a low rent home to use for many years. Bless Bert and Peg Boniface, and their five children; Mick, Ted, Brenda, Peggy, Michelle. My love of nature came from their 3 acre property and my safe simple upbringing is due in part to their generosity. Mr. B. in heaven with his eldest son I hope, watch over our tiny community and bring your calm optimism to us all during this current chaos. Amen.
Saints Boniface, Pray For us
Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you all my being. Moreover, I owe you as much more love than myself as you are greater than I, for whom you gave yourself and to whom you promised yourself. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. (prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)