St. Boniface, missionary to the Germans, wasn’t a German. In fact, originally, he wasn’t even Boniface. Born in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex (southern England) around AD 675, he was baptized Winfrid. Early in life, he entered a monastery and there he excelled in his education, becoming very learned in the Scriptures, a successful teacher, and remarkable preacher. But an easy career in the English church was not his desire. Winfrid longed to bring the Gospel to the heathen Germanic tribes on the European continent. It is admirable that Saxon England, a country and people that had only been Christian for about 100 years, was already producing such missionary zeal.

In AD 716, Winfrid set out to evangelize Frisia (modern Holland), and met with miserable failure. But he did not lose heart. Two years later, Winfrid went to Rome and received a commission from the pope to evangelize the Germanic tribes, especially those in Bavaria, Thuringia, and Hesse. It was also at this time that Winfrid received his new name: Boniface. At last, he embarked on the journey he had longed for, contending for the faith, fighting the good fight against the pagans, and strengthening the churches already established. Evidence of his love for God’s Word and his devotion to the truth of Christian doctrine can be seen in one of his letters:

We are united in the fight on the Lord's Day, because days of affliction and wretchedness have come.... We are not mute dogs or taciturn observers or mercenaries fleeing from wolves! On the contrary, we are diligent Pastors who watch over Christ's flock, who proclaim God's will to the leaders and ordinary folk, to the rich and the poor... in season and out of season... [1]

It would be during this time that we might place the miraculous defeat of the pagan god Thor at the hands of Boniface. Trees were often sacred places for the Germanic pagans. Thor’s Oak (most likely somewhere in Hesse) was sacred to the god of thunder, and would have been a site of pagan worship and sacrifice (sometimes including human sacrifice). Boniface and his followers faced down a gathering of pagans, and with axe in hand, literally struck a blow against idolatry. Here is how Willibald, one of his early biographers, described the event:

The saint attempted, in the place called Gaesmere, while the servants of God stood by his side, to fell a certain oak of extraordinary size, which is called, by an old name of the pagans, the Oak of Jupiter. And when in the strength of his steadfast heart he had cut the lower notch, there was present a great multitude of pagans, who in their souls were earnestly cursing the enemy of their gods. But when the fore side of the tree was notched only a little, suddenly the oak's vast bulk, driven by a blast from above, crashed to the ground, shivering its crown of branches as it fell; and, as if by the gracious compensation of the Most High, it was also burst into four parts, and four trunks of huge size, equal in length, were seen, unwrought by the brethren who stood by. At this sight the pagans who before had cursed now, on the contrary, believed, and blessed the Lord, and put away their former reviling. Then moreover the most holy bishop, after taking counsel with the brethren, built from the timber of the tree wooden oratory, and dedicated it in honor of Saint Peter the apostle. [2]

Boniface was not only a zealous missionary and powerful preacher. Later, he was made regional bishop, and eventually archbishop of all the Germanic tribes. In these positions, he called synods and reformed the church, both in Germany and in the Frankish Kingdom. He also established several monastic communities, which served as centers of learning, art, and missionary work, especially the monastery and cathedral at Fulda in Hesse.

When Boniface was almost 80 years old, he returned to Frisia with a group of followers to see the completion of the missionary work he had started there long before. Willibald relates how on June 5, AD 754, while Boniface was celebrating the Mass, a band of pagans attacked the assembly. With confidence in Christ and ready to give a faithful witness,

[Boniface] forbade his followers from fighting saying, “cease, my sons, from fighting, give up warfare, for the witness of Scripture recommends that we do not give an eye for an eye but rather good for evil. Here is the long awaited day, the time of our end has now come; courage in the Lord!” [1]

Boniface laid down his life for the sake of Christ and His Gospel, giving a testimony to his hope by the shedding of his blood, just as he had given that testimony throughout his life by the preaching of God’s Word. His body was later buried at Fulda to await the resurrection of all flesh. For his ministry and for his martyrdom, Boniface well deserves the honorific “Missionary to the Germans.” Othlo, another early biographer, commends him with these grateful words:

The holy Bishop Boniface can call himself father of all the inhabitants of Germany, for it was he who first brought them forth in Christ with the words of his holy preaching, he strengthened them with his example and lastly, he gave his life for them; no greater love than this can be shown. [1]

Even outside of Germany, Boniface remains well known to this day as one of the great missionary-monks of the early Middle Ages. His life and work have much to teach us as well. We mourn the fact that much of Boniface’s former mission field has now returned to various forms of paganism. The modern heathens of Europe and North America rarely gather around oak trees for human sacrifice, but that has only devolved into more “sophisticated” religions of man—bowing down before the environment and worshiping at the altar of prosperity with the sacrifice of babies. Boniface should encourage us to boldly challenge the paganism of our day, and to stand against the darkness with God’s Word. The life and work of a missionary like Boniface also shows that while elements of every human culture can be redeemed and sanctified by the Spirit working through His Church, other parts of culture must be exorcised and cut down. The Christian religion has a civilizing influence on man, because it is only in Christ that man truly becomes what he is meant to be. So, like Boniface, the Church continues to fight against the forces of evil with the bright sword of the Spirit, ever proclaiming the Gospel that brings life and peace. Courage in the Lord!

[1] Benedict XVI General Audience on March 11, 2009 http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20090311.html

[2] Donar’s Oak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donar%27s_Oak