| Saint Boniface | |
|---|---|
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| Bishop and Martyr | |
| Born | c. 672, Crediton, Devon |
| Died | June 5, 754, Dokkum, Frisia |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Communion |
| Major shrine | Fulda |
| Feast | June 5; December 19 (Eastern Orthodox Church) |
| Attributes | Bishop, Martyr; axe; book; fountain; fox; oak; raven; scourge; sword |
| Patronage | brewers; file cutters; Fulda; The Netherlands and Germany; tailors; World Youth Day |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Boniface (Latin: Bonifacius; German: Bonifatius; c. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. 672 – June 5, 754), the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at Crediton in the kingdom of Wessex (now in Devon, England), was a missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century. Events By Place Europe Wamba succeeds Reccaswinth as king of the Visigoths. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Events By Place Asia Al-Mansur, the second Abbasid Caliph, starts to rule Crediton (Credington Cryditon Kirton Kirkinton is a town in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire (imperium Francorum Frankish Kingdom (Latin regnum Francorum, "Kingdom of the The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. He is the patron saint of Germany and the Netherlands. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands
He was killed in Frisia in 754. Frisia ( West Frisian: Fryslân; North Frisian: Fraschlönj, Freesklöön, Freeskluin, Fresklun, and [1] His tomb is in the crypt of Fulda Cathedral. Fulda (ˈfʊlda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the Fulda River and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district ( Kreis
Winfrid was of a respected and prosperous family. It was somewhat against his father's wishes that he devoted himself at an early age to the monastic life. He received his theological training in the Benedictine monasteries of Adescancastre, near Exeter and Nursling, on the western edge of Southampton, under the abbot Winbert. Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. Nursling is a Village in Hampshire, England, situated about 6 kilometres north-west of the city of Southampton. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Winfrid taught in the abbey school and at the age of 30 became a priest. He wrote the first Latin grammar produced in England.
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First Mission to Frisia
In 716 AD, Winfrid set out on a missionary expedition to Frisia, intending to convert the inhabitants by preaching to them in their own language, his own Anglo-Saxon language being similar to Old Frisian. For the area code see Area code 716 Events By Place Byzantine Empire Theodosius III leads a revolt against Anastasius Frisia ( West Frisian: Fryslân; North Frisian: Fraschlönj, Freesklöön, Freeskluin, Fresklun, and Old Frisian was the West Germanic language spoken between the 8th and 16th centuries by the people who had settled in the area between the Rhine His efforts, however, were frustrated by the war then being carried on between Charles Martel and Radbod, king of the Frisians, and he returned to Nursling. Charles "The Hammer" Martel (Carolus Martellus Charles "the Hammer" (ca
Thor's Oak and the Conversion of the Northern Germanic Tribes
Winfrid again set out in 718, visited Rome, and was commissioned in 719 by Pope Gregory II, who gave him his new name of Boniface. Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians and one of the most important sacred sites of the Pagan For the area code see Area code 718 Events By Place Europe Tervel 's reign as monarch of Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Events By Place Europe Charles Martel defeats king Radbod of the Frisians Pope He set out to evangelize in Germany and reorganize the church there. For five years Boniface laboured in Hesse, Thuringia, and Frisia, and on November 30, 722, he was elevated to bishop of the Germanic territories he would bring into the fold of the Roman Church. Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. Frisia ( West Frisian: Fryslân; North Frisian: Fraschlönj, Freesklöön, Freeskluin, Fresklun, and Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Events By Place Americas 3 January — K'inich Ahkal Mo' Naab III takes the throne of the Maya state of Palenque
In 723, Boniface felled the holy oak tree dedicated to Thor near the present-day town of Fritzlar in northern Hesse. Events By Topic Religion Saint Boniface fells Thor's Oak near Fritzlar, marking the decisive event in the Christianization Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism Fritzlar is a small German town (pop 15000 in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, 160 km (100 miles north of Frankfurt Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area He did this with the Prophet Elijah in mind. Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC Boniface called upon Thor to strike him down if he cut the "holy" tree. According to St Boniface's first biographer, his contemporary Saint Willibald, Boniface started to chop the oak down, when suddenly a great wind, as if by miracle, blew the ancient oak over. Saint Willibald (born in Wessex, died 787 or 781 in Eichstätt) was an 8th century Bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria. When Thor did not strike him down, the people converted to Christianity. He built a chapel from its wood at the site where today stands the cathedral of Fritzlar. Fritzlar is a small German town (pop 15000 in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, 160 km (100 miles north of Frankfurt Later he established the first bishopric in Germany north of the old Roman Limes at the Frankish fortified settlement of Büraburg, on a prominent hill facing the town across the Eder River. A limes (or the Limes Romanus) was a Border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. The Eder is a 177 km long River in Germany, left tributary of the Fulda River.
The felling of Thor's Oak is commonly regarded as the beginning of German Christianization north and east of the old borders of the Roman Empire. Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians and one of the most important sacred sites of the Pagan The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity From that point on, Boniface went directly to the high places of the pagans and first struck them down, which inadvertently was to cause his death. In 732, he traveled again to Rome to report, and Pope Gregory II conferred upon him the pallium as archbishop with jurisdiction over Germany. Pope This article refers to the religious garment called a "pallium" Boniface again set out for what is now Germany, baptized thousands, and dealt with the problems of many other Christians who had fallen out of contact with the regular hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. During his third visit to Rome in 737–38, he was made papal legate for Germany. A Papal Legate – from the Latin authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the Pope to Foreign nations or to some part of the Catholic In 745, he was granted Mainz as metropolitan see. The New 745 Bio Sunnyland Ill - 745 — “Turning your wildest dreams into nightmares Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Tradition credits St Boniface with the invention of the Christmas tree. A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration The Oak of Thor at Geismar was chopped down by Boniface in a stage-managed confrontation with the old gods and local heathen tribes. Geismar is a Thuringian municipality in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany A fir tree growing in the roots of the Oak was claimed by Boniface as a new symbol. "This humble tree's wood is used to build your homes: let Christ be at the centre of your households. Its leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days: let Christ be your constant light. Its boughs reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven: let Christ be your Comfort and Guide". [2]
After his third trip to Rome, Boniface went to Bavaria and founded there the bishoprics of Salzburg, Regensburg, Freising, and Passau. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire, roughly consisting of the present-day state of Salzburg (the The Bishopric of Regensburg (Bistum Regensburg was a small Prince-bishopric ( Hochstift) of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 742, one of his disciples, Sturm (also known as Sturmi, or Sturmius), founded the abbey of Fulda not far from Boniface's earlier missionary outpost at Fritzlar. Saint Sturm (also Sturmius, Sturmi) was a disciple of Saint Boniface and founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery and abbey of Fulda (ˈfʊlda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the Fulda River and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district ( Kreis Although Sturm was the founding abbot of Fulda, Boniface was very involved in the foundation. The initial grant for the abbey was signed by Carloman, the son of Charles Martel. Carloman (between 706 and 716 &ndash 17 August 754 was the eldest son of Charles Martel, Major domo or Mayor of the palace and duke Charles "The Hammer" Martel (Carolus Martellus Charles "the Hammer" (ca
Boniface and the Carolingians
The support of the Frankish mayors of the palace (maior domos) and later the early Pippinid and Carolingian rulers, was essential for Boniface's work. The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval Title and Office, also called Majordomo, from the Latin title Maior domus ("superior The Pippinids or Arnulfings are the members of a family of Frankish nobles whose select scions served as Mayor of the Palace, de facto rulers of the Frankish kingdoms The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Monasticism went from the Celts to the Anglo-Saxons and thence to the Carolingian kings. From the Anglo-Saxons, Boniface joined the papacy and the Carolingian kings and provided education for them. Charles Martel erected four dioceses in Bavaria (Salzburg, Regensburg, Freising, and Passau) and gave them Boniface as archbishop and metropolitan over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at Mainz. Charles "The Hammer" Martel (Carolus Martellus Charles "the Hammer" (ca The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire, roughly consisting of the present-day state of Salzburg (the The Bishopric of Regensburg (Bistum Regensburg was a small Prince-bishopric ( Hochstift) of the Holy Roman Empire. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Boniface had been under his protection from 723 on; indeed, the saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester, that without the protection of Charles Martel he could "neither administer his church, defend his clergy, nor prevent idolatry. " The Christian Frankish leaders desired to defeat their rival power, the non-Christian Saxons, and to incorporate the Saxon lands into their own growing empire. Boniface's destruction of the indigenous Germanic faith and holy sites was, thus, an important part of the Frankish campaign against the Saxons. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. However, Boniface's motives are unmistakable; he wished first to spread the gospel.
St Boniface balanced this support and attempted to maintain some independence, however, by attaining the support of the papacy and of the Agilolfing rulers of Bavaria. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The Agilolfings were a family of either Frankish or Bavarian nobility that ruled the Duchy of Bavaria on behalf of their Merovingian suzerains Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 In Frankish, Hessian, and Thuringian territory, he established the dioceses of Büraburg, Würzburg, and Erfurt. Würzburg (ˈvʏɐ̯ʦbʊɐ̯k is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany Erfurt (ˈɛɐ̯fʊɐ̯t is a City in central Germany. It is the Capital of the state of Thuringia with a population of 202619 (2006 He also organized provincial synods in the Frankish church and maintained a sometimes turbulent relationship with the king of the Franks, Pepin, whom he may have crowned at Soissons in 751. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Pepin or Pippin (714 &ndash 24 September 768) called the Short, and often known as Pepin the Younger or Pepin III, was Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardie in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about 100 Events By Place Europe Pepin the Short is elected as king of the Franks by the Frankish nobility marking the end of the By appointing his own followers as bishops, he was able to retain some independence from the Carolingians, who most likely were content to give him leeway as long as Christianity was imposed on the Saxons and other Germanic tribes!
Last mission to Frisia
He had never relinquished his hope of converting the Frisians, and in 754 he set out with a small retinue for Frisia. Events By Place Asia Al-Mansur, the second Abbasid Caliph, starts to rule He baptized a great number and summoned a general meeting for confirmation at a place not far from Dokkum, between Franeker and Groningen. Dokkum is a Dutch Fortified town in the municipality of Dongeradeel in the province of Friesland. Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Instead of his converts, however, a group of armed inhabitants appeared who slew the aged archbishop. According to their own law (The Lex Frisionum), the Frisians had the right to kill him, since he had destroyed their shrines. Lex Frisionum, the "Law Code of the Frisians" was recorded in Latin during the reign of Charlemagne, after the year 785, when the Frankish conquest Boniface's hagiographer reports that the Frisians killed the saint because they believed the chests he carried with him contained gold and other riches, but were dismayed when they discovered that there were only the bishop's books contained within.
His remains were eventually buried in the abbey of Fulda after resting for some time in Utrecht, and they are entombed within a shrine beneath the high altar of Fulda cathedral.
The forcible conversion of Germany up to the Elbe River was completed by Charlemagne, who destroyed the Saxons' independence, though not that of the Frisians, in the last decades of the eighth century. The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his
Memorials
A famous statue of St Boniface stands on the grounds of Mainz Cathedral. Mainz Cathedral, formally known in English as St Martin Cathedral (in German Mainzer Dom, sometimes Der Hohe Dom zu Mainz) is located A more modern rendition stands facing the cathedral of Fritzlar. There is a wooden statue in the Anglican Church - see external link from Crediton. Crediton (Credington Cryditon Kirton Kirkinton is a town in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England.
The UK National Shrine is located at the Catholic church at Crediton, Devon, which has a bas-relief of the felling of Thor's Oak, by sculptor Kenneth Carter. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Crediton (Credington Cryditon Kirton Kirkinton is a town in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name The sculpture was unveiled by Princess Margaret in his native Crediton, located in Newcombes Meadow Park. Crediton (Credington Cryditon Kirton Kirkinton is a town in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. There is also a series of paintings there by Timothy Moore.
Saint Boniface's feast day is celebrated on June 5 in the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, and the Anglican Communion and on December 19 in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world
A cathedral has been dedicated to him in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page It is called Saint Boniface Cathedral and is a landmark in the city. Saint Boniface Cathedral is an important architectural feature of Saint Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, especially in the eyes of the Franco-Manitoban
St. Boniface Church, Chicago was established by German immigrants in 1865, with the current building dating from 1903. The church, although of significant architectural interest, fell into disuse in 1990 and its future is in doubt.
There are quite a few churches dedicated to St. Boniface in the United Kingdom: Bunbury, Cheshire; Chandler's Ford, Hampshire; Adler Street, London; Papa-Westray, Orkney; St. Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. Chandler's Ford (originally The Ford and historically Chandlersford) is a largely residential area in the borough of Eastleigh in southern Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Budeaux, Plymouth (now demolished); Bonchurch, Isle of Wight.
A primary school has also been established, St Boniface Catholic Primary School, in Tooting, London. Tooting is a suburb in the London Borough of Wandsworth in south London. It was founded in 1903 and has nearly 300 pupils. There is also an active PTA, the Friends of St Boniface. Nearby is the St. Boniface RC Church, containing a painting of St. Boniface, chopping down the Donar oak. A secondary school has been named after him in Plymouth, England, St Boniface's Catholic College. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London.
See also
Further reading
- Talbot, C. Mainz Cathedral, formally known in English as St Martin Cathedral (in German Mainzer Dom, sometimes Der Hohe Dom zu Mainz) is located H. , ed. , "The Anglo-Saxon Missionaries in Germany: Being the Lives of S. S. Willibrord, Boniface, Strum, Leoba and Lebuin, together with the Hodoeporicon of St. Willibald and a Selection from the Correspondence of St. Boniface," NY: Sheed and Ward, 1954.
English translation of original source material. Includes the first biography of St. Boniface, written by his 8th Century contemporary St. Willibald.
References
- ^ Boniface from Patron Saints Index
- ^ Boniface of Crediton
| Preceded by Gewielieb |
Archbishop of Mainz 745–755 |
Succeeded by Lullus |
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