From the desk of the pastor for Aug. 17, 2025

The Lord be with you! When we went over Charlemagne last week, we mentioned that he supported the evangelization of much of his realm. Today we are going to meet the man who did much of that preaching and is celebrated as the Apostle of the Germans: St. Boniface.

Born as Wynfreth around AD 675 in modern day England, Boniface joined the Exeter monastery at an early age. Instead of becoming the abbot there, Boniface went to the region of Frisia in Germany. His initial work did not produce much as he had to flee back to England when war broke out in the region. The next year he went to Rome to receive the Pope's blessing and received the name of Boniface. More importantly, the Pope made him a missionary bishop to a large region of Germany.

Boniface inaugurated his second missionary attempt by felling the Donar Oak. Believed by the pagan Germans to be sacred to their gods, Boniface realized that it had to go. The legend has Boniface taking a single swing of the axe to the tree when a mighty wind then blew the tree over. Many Germans converted when Boniface built a church out of the wood demonstrating the strength of the Christian God. Whatever the providence of this legend, Boniface firmly established the Church among the Saxons.

Around AD 723 Boniface was granted protection of Charles Mantel - the grandfather of Charlemagne. The Carolingians supported Boniface's missionary work as it dovetailed with their desire to incorporate the Saxon Germans into their kingdom. The more Christian the Germanic tribes became the more they wanted their leaders to be Christians.

A decade later in 732 Boniface returned to Rome and became archbishop of all Germany. Over the next decades he worked to regain control of the churches in France and Germany. Why weren't these churches obedient to Rome? Simple: they had been given away as rewards.

When Charles Mantel won the battle of Tours in 732, he gave many cathedrals, monasteries, and local churches to his supporters. At least, he gave their taxes and control to them. Defeating the Muslims and saving Europe from Islam gave Charles Mantel a lot of political power. Here we must remember that at this time the state as we know it did not exist in the West. What existed were personal relations that depended on individuals' charism and influence. Men like Charlemagne and Charles Mantel were in charge because men by the thousands would follow them into battle. Nevertheless, Boniface succeeded in getting much of the Church giving their material support to Rome instead of the Carolingians.

In 754 Boniface returned to Frisia in hopes of completing its conversion. Instead of potential converts coming to his summons, a band of robbers ambushed and killed him and his entourage. These bandits did not find silver and gold but Bibles much to their chagrin. Across Europe Boniface was almost immediately proclaimed a saint after his martyrdom. He died as he lived: saving souls.

In His Sacred Heart,
Fr. John