Who Was Saint Hubert?

Little is known about the youth of St. Hubert, who was born about the year 555 A.D. in Belgium. Old tradition says that he came from a noble family in Aquitania and took part in all the pleasures of a nobleman of that period, especially hunting.

A story dating from the fifteenth century tells of a stag hunt deep in the forest on Good Friday. The stag turned and faced the hunter, Hubert, who saw between the antlers a blazing cross bearing the image of the body of Christ in a halo of brilliant light. Dazzled and at the same time illuminated by the Grace of God, Hubert dismounted, fell to his knees and began to pray. Eventually under the influence of Lambert, Bishop of Tongres, he withdrew from the world to the abbey of Stavelot where he dedicated his life and possessions to God.

Following the assassination of Lambert about 700 A.D. Hubert became Bishop of Tongres. There he became famous for his holiness and charity and built the cathedral at Liege in honour of the now canonised St. Lambert. Hubert himself died in 727 A.D. and was buried within the cathedral church which he had built. Many miracles soon began to be associated with his tomb and he was therefore canonised as a saint on 3rd November 743 A.D. On this occasion the Merovingian king, Carloman, gave a magnificent shrine in which to place his body and this remained intact for eight hundred years.

In 825 the shrine was removed to the Ardennes at the request of the Benedictines who now dedicated an abbey to him at the place now called St. Hubert. In 1568, as the Reformation swept Europe the relics were hidden for safety in a safe place which has never been rediscovered. After the French Revolution the abbey church became the parish church of St. Hubert. Here is preserved the supposed stole of St. Hubert which has been recently carbon dated to around 700 A.D.