‹ The Bishops
Early Medieval · Saint
St Boniface
Archbishop of Mainz
MissionaryMartyr
c. 675 – 754
c. 705
Ordained
722
Consecrated Bishop
Mainz
Diocese
Germany
Country
The Life
Born Wynfrith c. 675 in Wessex, England, he became a Benedictine monk and scholar before giving himself to missionary work on the Continent. Commissioned and renamed 'Boniface' by Pope Gregory II, who consecrated him a missionary bishop in 722, he evangelized the pagan Germanic peoples with papal backing.
He organized the Church across Germania, founded monasteries and dioceses, and was made Archbishop of Mainz. While preaching in Frisia he was slain by pagans in 754 and is venerated as the Apostle of the Germans.
Notable Actions
- Consecrated missionary bishop for Germania by Pope Gregory II in 722
- Felled the sacred Donar (Thor's) Oak at Geismar, winning many converts
- Founded monasteries and dioceses, including the great abbey of Fulda
- Evangelized Hesse, Thuringia, and Bavaria, building the Church's structure across Germania
- Martyred with about 52 companions at Dokkum in Frisia, 5 June 754
Portrait: Cornelis Bloemaert / Wikimedia Commons