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St. Boniface Feast Day June 5 Boniface, originally called Winfrid, was born in England at the beginning
of the seventh century. After entering a monastery and becoming a priest,
he showed great skill in winning souls through preaching. Burning with
zeal to spread the faith, he preached the Gospel among the Frisians. Then
he returned to England, where he ruled his monastery for two years in a
most holy way. Having resigned the office of Superior, he went to Rome,
where he received from Gregory II the name of Boniface and the commission
to proclaim Christ to the peoples of Thuringia and Saxony. With holy Willibrord,
he returned to the Frisians and preached the Gospel with great fruit. Soon
he was summoned to Rome and invested with the episcopal dignity; after
which, he set out once more for Germany. There he rid Hesse and Thuringia
of almost the last vestiges of idolatry. He was made apostolic delegate
and archbishop of Mainz, and administered them either personally or through
his disciples. At length, he went back once again to the Frisians, who
had lapsed into idolatry, to preach the Gospel to them. There, with Eobanus
his co-bishop and many others, he was killed in a bloody massacre near
the river Born and received the crown of martyrdom. His body lies in the
monastery of Fulda. |