St. Boniface was born in the seventh century, in Devonshire, England. He was educated in a Benedictine monastery, and became a monk. In 719, he went to Germany as a missionary.
In Germany, Boniface destroyed pagan temples and idols, building churches in their place. Eventually, he was made Archbishop of Mainz. He reformed the churches there, and built religious houses.
One story about Boniface tells of his work in Saxony, where he met a tribe that worshiped a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface removed his shirt, took up an ax, and chopped down the tree without a word. He then stood on the trunk and asked the tribe, “How stands your mighty God? My God is stronger than he.”
St. Boniface was attacked by a troop of pagan while he and 52 companions were doing missionary work in Holland. He died on June 5, 754.
