St. Boniface

st boniface (http://www.stbonifaceonline.com/IMAGES/vtour/003vest1.jpg)

Saint Boniface was born with the name Winfrid in Crediton. He became a missionary and started to spread Christianity throughout Germany. For his first mission he went to Frisia to try to convert the people living there but he returned unsuccessfully for the war had troubled his work.

After returning from Frisia he went to Rome and was given the name Boniface from the pope after he was commissioned. After spending five years in Hesse, Boniface ranked up to bishop of Hesse, Thuringia, and Frisia in Germany.

To get people to convert to Christianity Boniface went to a tree dedicated to the god Thor. He asked for Thor to strike him down if he cut the tree. As he began to chop away a great gust of wind came and knocked the tree over. When the people saw that Thor didn't strike down Boniface they began to convert to Christianity.

After this Boniface went back to Rome where he was made archbishop. He went back to modern day Germany where thousands of people were baptized by him. He then went out to Rome again where he was promoted to papal legate in Germany.

Now Boniface was older but still much involved and went to convert the Frisians. He was able to get a large number of the to convert and he went on to baptize them. He then made a meeting for their confirmation which would take place near Dokkum. When the group came he realized they were not his converts but rather an armed group of robbers who hoped to steal the gold out of his chest he carried with him but after killing him the thieves discovered no gold or riches in his chest.