This Anglo-Saxon missionary monk was martyred in Frisia about the year 755. Born in Devon, he entered the monastery of Nursling, near Southampton, before being sent to Europe to evangelise there.

Here is a copy of a letter he sent to an Abbess: ‘To his most reverend and beloved sister, the abbess Eadburga, Boniface, humble servant of the servants of God, sends heartfelt greetings of love in Christ. I pray Almighty God, the rewarder of all good works, that he repay you in the heavenly mansions and eternal tabernacles and choir of the blessed angels for all the kindnesses you have shown me, the solace of the books and the comfort of the garments with which you have relieved my distress. And now I ask you to do still more for me and write out in gold the Epistles of my lord, St Peter the Apostle, that I may visibly impress honour and reverence for the sacred Scriptures on the carnal minds to whom I preach. I should like to have with me always the words of him who is my guide on this road. I am sending materials for your writing by the priest Eoban. Do then, dearest sister, with this petition of mine as you have always done with all my requests, that here also your works may shine in letters of gold to the glory of our heavenly Father. I pray for your well-being in Christ, and may you go on to still greater heights of holy virtue’.

After his martyrdom, those who had killed him expected to take away rich booty. Instead, they found only holy relics and a few books.

May St Boniface pray for us, and may the Gospel be our constant guide, as it was for St Boniface, and may God bless you this day.