Martyr
Martyr Boniface of Tarsus
† ок. 290
Also known as: Вонифатий Милостивый, Вонифатий Римский
Martyr Boniface of Tarsus — steward of the Roman noblewoman Aglaida, sent to collect the relics of martyrs, who himself openly confessed Christ before the judge in Tarsus, Cilicia; after cruel torture he was beheaded.
Martyr Boniface of Tarsus (also called Boniface the Merciful or Boniface of Rome) was a household steward and slave of the wealthy Roman noblewoman Aglaida, with whom he lived in an unlawful relationship, though he was noted for his mercy toward the poor and travelers.
Stricken by conscience, the two sought atonement, and Aglaida sent Boniface east to Cilicia to obtain relics of martyrs then suffering persecution. Arriving in Tarsus, he witnessed Christians being tortured in the city square, was overcome by their courage, and openly confessed himself a Christian before the judge, refusing to sacrifice to idols.
He was subjected to horrific torments — flayed until flesh fell from his bones, needles driven under his fingernails, molten tin poured down his throat, and cast into a cauldron of boiling pitch — surviving each miraculously and converting roughly 550 onlookers. He was finally beheaded (c. 290 AD), with blood and milk reportedly flowing from the wound.
Aglaida retrieved his relics, built a church over them near Rome, distributed her wealth to the poor, and spent the rest of her life in monastic repentance.
His feast is kept on December 19/January 1.