St. Hubert Gold-Filled Large Oval Medal

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.

    Hubert was passionately devoted to hunting. While hunting a stag on a Good Friday morning, he received a vision of a crucifix between its 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. When his wife died soon after this incident, Hubert renounced all his worldly 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 was when Lambert was murdered. Bishop of Maastricht. Known for his excellent preaching and his generosity to the poor, stripping the diocese of all excesses to help them. Following a 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.

    Evangelized the Ardenne region, converting the pagans. 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.

    Predicted the date of his own death, and died while reciting the Our Father. Highly revered in the Middle Ages, 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.

Born
    c.656 at Maastricht, Holland

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

Canonized
    Pre-Congregation