SAINT OF THE WEEK: 5 June - Saint Boniface
Many saints are widely associated with the place of their birth – St Boniface, on the other hand, is best known for his work transforming lands far from his native home. Born in Anglo-Saxon England, his legacy is most visible across the North Sea in Germany and the Low Countries, where he and other saints helped to establish Christianity and strengthen the structures of the Church during the eighth century.
Boniface was born Wynfrith, or Winfrid, around 675. While the people of Crediton in Devon have long claimed him as their own, the evidence is scant and his birthplace cannot be spoken of with any certainty. He was educated in a monastery – probably at Exeter – from an early age and was drawn to the life and calling of the monks. Winfrid’s prosperous family hoped he would pursue a different path, but he pursued his monastic calling regardless.
