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| St. Boniface |
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Study our window beyond the gate in the narthex, and you will see an axe. This unlikely church symbol helps to depict St. Boniface, a native of Devonshire who evangelized in Germany in the 8th Century.
Boniface is rightly regarded to be among the “Makers of Europe.” As Bishop of Mainz, he anointed Pippin King of the Franks, paving the way for Pippin’s son, Charlemagne, to revive a unified Christian dominion on the Continent. In 753, he resigned his see to spend his last years again as a missionary in Frisia. On June 5, 754, while waiting to convert a group of converts, he and his companions were murdered by a band of pagans. His body was buried near Mainz, in a monastery he had founded in 744.
So, now you might think you know the reason for the axe — that it was used against Boniface. But no, it was actually used by Boniface. In at least one instance, he chopped down oak trees worshiped by the pagans he encountered. Boniface’s prophetic action maybe succeeded in making his point with some about the inefficacy of trees. It might also have incurred the enmity of those who killed him. No matter: he’s a poor candidate for the Sierra Club.
Take it as a reminder that the saints are not perfect persons to whose status we can never aspire. Though represented in beautiful stained glass, “the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.” (Hymn 293)
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| St. Sidwell |
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Two features in this window speak of the death of St. Sidwell, c. 685. First is the well, near which she was murdered, and then the scythe, with which a reaper beheaded her.
Sidwell was the eldest of four devout daughters of a noble Briton residing in Exeter. According to one account, upon her father's death her stepmother grew envious of Sidwell's large inheritance, and hired the reaper to kill her. This he did while she was near the well, occupied in her devotions.
Another account, however, claims that she was slain by a group of her father's pagan farm laborers. They not only resented her for rejecting their ways, but also for refusing to marry one of their number. This account accords her the status of a martyr.
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| St. Hubert |
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Hubert was honored in the Middle Ages as the patron of hunters. The oldest son of the Duke of Aquitaine, he was born about 656.
He spent his youth in a life of adventure and pleasure. A charming court favorite, he had a passion for the chase. Hubert set out on a hunt one Good Friday, pursuing a magnificent stag while the faithful were worshiping. When the stag stopped and faced his pursuer, legend has it that Hubert saw a crucifix between its antlers. This moment began his conversion.
Hubert gave up his worldly pursuits to become a priest. Later, the "Archer Saint" used his skill with the bow and arrow in exhibitions, winning converts as the Bishop of Liege, Belgium. | |
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