St. Boniface - Abbot, Bishop, Martyr and Apostle to the Germans (+ 755 AD)

MONASTIC FORMATION
St. Boniface was born at Kirton in Devonshire (the southeastern tip of England) around 680 AD. His baptismal name was Winfrid. When he was but five years old, his father hosted several pious monks who were preaching in the area. Their conversation over heavenly things left a deep impression on his young heart - words which could never be erased. Henceforth he constantly spoke of becoming a monk and spreading Christ's words to all. Yet his father used all his authority to divert him from such an inclination. Then his father fell terribly ill; he knew it was the hand of God chastising him for opposing his son's vocation. He recovered his health but gave thirteen year old son his blessing in heeding God's call. At this tender age Winfrid entered the Benedictine monastery at Exeter and was formed by several very holy abbots in succession. After mastering many subjects, he was appointed to teach. His incredible intelligence was only exceeded by his devoted piety and asceticism. At the age of thirty he was ordained a priest, and from that time on, despite being a monk, he was constantly occupied with preaching and the care of souls. His reputation grew to such an extent that the Archbishop of Canterbury and King Ine of Wessex frequently sought his advice and would not hold a synod without his presence.

MISSIONARY FAILURE
Nothing motivated Winfred more than zeal for the salvation of those souls still shrouded in the darkness of idolatry. Long did he implore Heaven and his abbot that he might be permitted to bring the Light of Christ to heathens. In 716 he finally received permission to cross the English Channel and evangelize Friseland (modern day Netherlands). Unfortunately he met with insurmountable obstacles. Charles Martel, Catholic King of the Franks, was waging war against Radbod, the pagan King of Friseland. Winfred traveled as far as the capital Utrecht to personally speak with King Radbod, but was unsuccessful in gaining his leave to evangelize the land. He was obliged to return to his monastery in England. His abbot died and Winfred was unanimously chosen to succeed him. He did his best to discourage his election, claiming he was called to convert infidels, but to no avail. Abandoning himself to God's will, Winfred resigned himself to forego his zealous dream and dedicated himself to wisely ruling his brother monks.

Two years later, the wise and learned Bishop Daniel of Winchester ruled that Winfred should be discharged of his duty in order to assume missionary responsibilities. Winfred was overjoyed. However in order to avoid the failures of his first effort, he followed the bishop's counsel to present himself before the Holy Father in Rome and beg for the apostolic blessing and authority to preach to the infidels. Pope Gregory II met Winfred with a cautious eye and first asked if he brough with him commendary letters from his diocesan bishop. Winfred indeed had such letters, although he did not know the high praises of wisdom and holiness contained within. Moved by Bishop Daniel's recommendations and having conversed with the saint, Gregory II gave him full apostolic authority to preach to all the infidel nations of Germany. The Pope gave him many relics, blessings, and letters commending him to all Christian princes he might encounter.

[column size="1-2" last="0"]THE GREAT APOSTLE TO GERMANY
It was the year 719 and the holy missionary lost no time in crossing the Alps to begin his apostolic functions in Bavaria and Thuringia. He baptized countless infidels and unceasingly preached the Faith. In the regions bordering the Frankish Kingdom, he encountered Catholic clergy who had fallen into many irregularities. Influence from the heathens had all but extinguished the pure maxims of the faith in many of the local faithful. All these, from bishop to commoner, Winfred helped reform according to the precepts of the Gospel and holy canons of Mother Church. [These two lands became the areas of his greatest missionary success and where he left the most indelible imprint of the True Faith. Even up to modern times, out of all Germany, these areas best resisted the Protestant heresy and remained the most Catholic. Surely this is on account of St. Boniface's earthly efforts and his unceasing heavenly intercession.] [/column]
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He then heard that Charles Martel had defeated and killed King Radbod. Friseland lay open to evangelization and our saint rushed there to help St. Willebrord win the land for Christ. The two holy monks met with great success. However, Winfred was alarmed to learn that Willebrord planned to consecrate him bishop over the land. Winfred fled back to Germany using the excuse that the Pope himself had specifically commissioned him to preach among the Germanic peoples. Now he worked unceasingly in the lands of Hesse and Saxony. He baptized thousands of idolaters, destroyed temples and built churches. He sent one of his monks to inform Pope Gregory II of his labors and to seek his advice in several difficulties. The monk returned with congratulations from the Pope and the command that Winfred personally report to Rome.

BISHOP BONIFACE DEFEATS GERMAN PAGANISM
Pope Gregory II requested a confession of Faith from Winfred. This was a necessary pre-requisite for the Pope's intention - to change his name and bestow the episcopal consecration upon Boniface. St. Boniface took the oath to maintain the purity of the faith and unity of the faith, and laid the document upon the tomb of St. Peter. The Pope gave him several books (priceless treasures in those days), the canons of the Church by which to rule his conduct, and letters commending him to Charles Martel and to all bishops and princes.

Boniface returned to Hesse. It was then that he encountered the sacred oak dedicated to Jupiter. Many neighboring pagan princes had gathered to worship there. Boniface proclaimed the Gospel; then to overcome their stubbornness he took up an ax and felled the pagan tree. The heathens were sure Jupiter would strike Boniface with lightning. Instead the tree crashed to the ground and miraculously split into four pieces. Boniface used the timber to construct a church and thousands of pagans sought baptism there. It was St. Boniface's prudent custom to visibly manifesting Christ's triumph over darkness by submitting something of the pagan idolatry to the worship of the Blessed Trinity.

In 732, Pope Gregory III was elevated to St. Peter's Chair. He sent St. Boniface a special pall and constituted him Archbishop and Primate of all Germany. He also gave him the power to erect new bishoprics as he saw fit. Several years later Boniface journeyed to Rome to report and consult with the Pope regarding the newly converted lands. The Pope reckoned him a living saint and appointed him Apostolic Legate to all Germany (this meant he could act with the very authority of the Pope). Many of the dioceses of Germany were created and established by Boniface, such as Saltzburg (Austria), Erford (Thuringia), Wurtzburg (Fraconia), Achstat (Bavaria), Ratisbon, and Baraburg (Hesse). He established Mentz as the metopolitan see of all Germany and his own bishopric. Pope Zachary was elected in 741 and he confirmed all the papal privileges which had been bestowed upon our saint.

GOVERNING GERMAN CATHOLICISM
At this time, Charles Martel died. He had greatly increased the Frankish Kingdom: he conquered Burgundy and Aquitain, forced back the Moors in northern Spain, and humbled the Saxons of Denmark. His son Carloman became Lord of Austrasia (Lorrain) and the Germanic lands subject to the Franks in the east. His brother, Pepin the Short, ruled the Frankish lands to the west. Prince Carloman then defeated Odilo, Duke of Bavaria, and Thierry, Duke of Saxony, and made them his tributaries. Both brothers were devout Catholics and continued to promote the growth of the Catholic Church in their realms. As the Frankish kingdom covered more and more of central Europe, Catholicism became more firmly entrenched and Boniface assumed ever increased responsibilities. Yet his heart soared with joy to know how many souls were being won for Christ.

In a great synod in 742, St. Boniface condemned two influential heretics. Adalbert, a Frenchmen, pretended to know the secrets of hearts, authored an autobiography in which he claimed many false miracles, and even distributed his own hair and fingernails as relics. Clement was a Scotsman who rejected the Church's canons and laws. He further taught that Christ had descended into hell to free all the souls of the damned and held heterodox opinions concerning predestination. Carloman, who greatly admired the saint and always sought his advice, imprisoned both heretics and the Pope affirmed these condemnations in his own Roman Synod of 745. Two years later Carloman resigned his office in order to enter religious life. In 751, Pepin the Short was named King of all the united Frankish Lands, but he insisted that he be crowned at Rheims by St. Boniface.

Boniface called many religious from his native land of England to come help him spread Christian piety in the fierce and uncivilized lands of Germany. Among these laborers were St. Wigbert, St. Burchard Bishop of Wurzburg, St. Willibald Bishop of Eichstad, and St. Lullus, who would succeed Boniface at Mentz. The holy virgins who came to help included St. Lioba, our saint's cousin, St. Thecla, St. Walburge, and St. Bertigita. These holy religious helped establish and lead many monasteries and convents. The most famous monastery established by Boniface was the Benedictine Abbey at Fulda (a bit north of modern Frankfurt).

Yet Boniface also encountered many trials and difficulties. In a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury he wrote, "Let us fight for the Lord in these days of bitterness and affliction. If this be the will of God, let us die for the holy laws of our fathers, that we may arrive with them at the eternal inheritance. Let us not be dumb dogs, sleeping sentinels, hirelings that fly at the sight of the wolf; but watchful and diligent pastors, preaching to the great and small, to the rich and poor, to every age and condition, being instant in season and out of season." The ardor of his charity led him to always thirst after greater sufferings in imitation of Christ. In fact, despite having spent his life in the service of Christ and converting so many nations, he still felt as if he had done nothing as he had not spilled his blood for Christ.

THE MISSIONARY'S MARTYRDOM
By now St. Boniface was like a prince over an empire. He was lord over a great territory and primate over all German bishops and abbots. He was even made a chancellor to the king. Yet this worldly power never gained a prideful foothold in his soul. Instead he continued to yearn to win more souls for Christ. Although he was past seventy years, he knew his missionary work was incomplete. Thus, availing himself of his apostolic powers, he put all his ecclesiastic affairs in order: he appointed many wise prelates, provided for the instruction of children, set apart goods for the poor and destitute, and named St. Lullus as the new Archbishop of Mentz. Having fulfilled his duty, he resigned this office and embarked on one last missionary journey.

[column size="1-2" last="0"]Taking fifty companions with him, including laity, monks and priests, St. Boniface sailed to the savage northern parts of East Friesland. There he met with his customary success, instructing and baptizing thousands of infidels. He appointed the eve of Pentecost, 5 June 755 AD, as the day to confirm these neophytes on the plains of Dokkum. Here he pitched his tents and prepared himself through prayer as he awaited the arrival of the new converts. Instead a band of enraged armed infidels attacked. His companions prepared to defend him but he instructed them to lay down their swords and meet death with cheerfulness and constancy. This was the martyrdom they had longed for and would be their passage to eternal joy! "Our Lord tells us to repay evil with good, the day has come for which I have waited so long. Trust in God, and He will save our souls." The barbarians attacked and St. Boniface was the first one they killed. They proceeded to murder all his companions, fifty-two in all, including one bishop, three priests, three deacons and four monks.[/column][column size="1-2" last="1"][/column]

The heathens expected to find much silver and gold but instead only found relics and books, which they scattered about the plain. Many of them were later found and are still preserved in the Monastery at Fulda, including a book of the Gospels written in Boniface's own hand. Another book which contains letters of St. Ambrose and St. Leo the Great is splattered with his blood. The saints body was first carried to Utrecht. Later St. Lullus had it transferred to Mentz and then to Fulda, as St. Boniface had desired. A long history has been recorded of an incredible number of miracles attributed to his holy relics.

EMPIRE OF THE FRANKS