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Saint Boniface

File:Saint_Boniface_by_Cornelis_Bloemaert.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Saint Boniface

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Also known as The Apostle of the Germans, Winfrid, Wynfrith, Wynfryth, St. Boniface

missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire

Key facts

Born
c. 675 , Crediton , Dumnonia
Died
5 June 754 (aged around 79), near Dokkum , Frisia
Venerated in
Catholic Church , Lutheranism , Eastern Orthodox Church , Anglican Communion
Major shrine
Fulda Cathedral , St Boniface Catholic Church, Crediton , England
Feast
5 June
Attributes
In bishop's robes, book pierced by a sword (also axe; oak; scourge)
Patronage
Fulda ; Germania ; England (Orthodox Church; jointly with Ss. Augustine of Canterbury, and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The Orthodox Church also recognises him as patron Saint of Germany); Devon ; Winnipeg

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Gender
male
Citizenship
Francia
Place of birth
Crediton
Place of death
Dokkum
Occupation
Catholic bishop
Position held
archbishop
Languages spoken
English language
Participant in
Concilium Germanicum
Image
Cornelis Bloemaert - S. Bonifacius.jpg
Work location
Mainz
Residence
Crediton
Religious order
Benedictines
Show 19 more facts
Commons category
Saint Boniface
feast day
June 5
date of death
0754-06-05
topic's main category
Category:Saint Boniface
canonization status
Catholic saint
date of birth
0675-00-00
described by source
Wikitólica
Commons gallery
Bonifatius
manner of death
homicide
nickname
Apostle of Germany
place of burial
Fulda Cathedral
writing language
Latin
consecrator
Gregory II
different from
San Bonifacio
name in native language
Bonifatius
subject has role
bishop
Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

~38 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Boniface (born Wynfreth; c. 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of the church in Germany and was made Archbishop of Mainz by Pope Gregory III. He was martyred in Frisia in 754, along with 52 others, and his remains were returned to Fulda, where they rest in a sarcophagus which remains a site of Christian pilgrimage.

Boniface's life and death as well as his work became widely known, there being a wealth of material available – a number of vitae, especially the near-contemporary Vita Bonifatii auctore Willibaldi, legal documents, possibly some sermons, and above all his correspondence. He is venerated as a saint in the Christian church and became the patron saint of Germania, known as the "Apostle to the Germans".

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Saint Boniface” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (11)