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Saint Hubert of Liège

statue of Saint Hubert of Liege with the deer; date and artist unknown; Sint-Jan Evangelist Church, Tervuren, Belgium; photographed on 21 August 2010 by Wouter Hagens; swiped from Wikimedia Commons Also known as

Apostle of the Ardennes
Hubert the Hunter
Hubertus…
Uberto…

Memorial

3 November
30 May (translation of relics)

Profile

Grandson of Charibert, King of Toulouse. Eldest son of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine. Worldly, popular and dissolute layman courtier at Nuestria in northwest France in his youth. For political reasons he emigrated, to Austrasia in the border area between modern France and Germany. Married in 682 to Floribanne, daughter of Dagobert, Count of Louvain. Father of one son, Saint Floribert of Liege.

Hubert was passionately devoted to hunting. While chasing a stag on a Good Friday morning, he received a vision of a crucifix between the animal’s antlers. A voice warned him, “Hubert, unless you turn to the Lord, and lead a holy life, you shall quickly go down to hell.” It was a conversion experience for Hubert.

Spiritual student of Saint Lambert of Maastricht. When his wife died, Hubert renounced all his worldy positions, titles and wealth, handed his patrimony, and the care of his son, to his brother, and studied for the priesthood. After ordination, he served as assistant to Saint Lambert. Pilgrim to Rome, where he was when Lambert was murdered. Chosen bishop of Maastricht. Known for his excellent preaching and his generosity to the poor, stripping the diocese of all excesses to help them. Following another vision, and to defend of the memory of Lambert, he moved his mentor’s body from Maastricht to Liege, and built a church for it on the site of Lambert‘s martyrdom. First bishop of Liege.

Hubert evangelized the Ardenne region, converting pagans and strengthening Christians. He tracked down some of the old idolatrous places of worship, but generally permitted the new converts to decide for themselves to destroy the old idols. They all, naturally, did so.

Hubert predicted the date of his own death, and died while reciting the Our Father. He became highly revered in the Middle Ages, and there were several military orders named in his honor. His association with the hunt led to his patronage of furriers and trappers, and against rabies and bad behavior in dogs, primarily hunting dogs. The breed commonly known as bloodhounds are also called Saint Hubert’s hounds.

Born

c.656 at Maastricht, Netherlands

Died

30 May 727 at Fura (modern Tervueren), Brabant, Belgium of natural causes
interred at Saint Peter’s collegiate church in Liege, Belgium
relics translated in 825 to the abbey which has since been renamed Saint Hubert’s