St. Hubertus, Bishop of Liège
Patron Saint of hunters, dogs, trappers, opticians, mathematicians, smelters, metalworkers, foresters, forest inhabitants, and the City of Liège, Belgium. Apostle of the Ardennes.
Figure 1:
Coat of Arms of Liège
Forest at Night
Early Life
St. Hubertus (656-727 A.D.) was born in Toulouse, present day France, to a noble family. Being the eldest son of the Duke of Aquintaine, he was heir to much Earthly wealth and power. He had world-class education, good military training, access to the finer things in life, strong intelligence, and appeared, on the surface, to have his life set for him. In addition, starting at a young age, as typical to young noblemen, he found a passion: hunting, or la chasse. Being his primary activity, his religious devotion dwindled. He would even hunt on Holy Days, a huge offense to God.
Figure 2:
Die Bekehrung des Heiligen Hubertus
Encounter with God
In 682, he married a woman named Floribanne, and had a son. Soon after their son was born, in 684, at the beginning of Holy Week, his wife passed away. That Good Friday, instead of going to Church, he was on the hunt. While doing this, he had a sudden encounter with God, who appeared before him and said, “Hubert, unless you turn to the Lord, and lead a holy life, you shall quickly go down into Hell.” Amazed, he fell to his knees, and asked God, “Lord, what would You have me do?” God replied, “Go and seek Bishop Lambert, and he will instruct you.”
Figure 3:
St Hubert of Liège is consecrated bishop by Pope Sergius
Renouncing Earth, Embracing God
Soon after this encounter, Hubertus renounced all of his worldly possessions: his immense amount of wealth, which he gave to those in need, and his right of succession as Duke. Hubertus then visited the city of Maastricht and saw Bishop Lambert, who became his spiritual advisor. Lambert then told him to go to the Ardennes Forest to lead a prayerful life. He did so, and, after, and was eventually ordained for the priesthood, and, after Lambert’s assassination, was consecrated as Bishop of Maastricht, and then of Liège. He faithfully prayed and fasted, and greatly cared for the needs of the people.
Figure 4:
Apostle of the Ardennes
He was known to make frequent missions to the Ardennes Forest, to convert the Pagans and bandits that inhabited it. Using his archery skills to gain their trust, and risking his life, he made them more receptive to the Gospel, converting many to Christianity, only doing so voluntarily. Thus, he became known as the Apostle of the Ardennes. Thus, like a true man of God, he gave up His worldly life, and did everything for God. If you, a sinner, are ever stuck on a temptation, a sin, something holding you back from being the best version of yourself, remember, St. Hubertus freed himself from this. If he did, so can you.
Figure 5:
How to Remember Him
To honor the life of St. Hubertus, his feast day is November 3. I celebrate it with prayers for the Non-Christians, a life of purity and holiness, and a prayer for the healing of all who need it. I then have some European-styled soup, and some Belgian beer to celebrate his life, and end the day with a Rosary!
Figure 6:
What is the Shield of St. Hubertus?
Well, it’s the website I founded! St. Hubertus is my confirmation Saint, and has inspired me to give up many worldly wants, needs, and temptations for something greater than myself. In addition, as a convert from Agnosticism, I continue his mission of voluntary conversion to those who need it most. Instead of the barbarians in the forest, though, it is the Skeptics, the Atheists, and the Christians with doubt, who I believe are made in the Image of God, and loved by Him. One thing is constant, though: the Word of God being spread to all who hear. Feel free to view my YouTube channel (a video may be coming soon), and follow me on Instagram! Links are at the bottom of the page! If you want to see a rational reason to be a Christian, feel free to click here!
About my Logo
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The Cross represents Christ (יֵשׁוּעַ), God incarnate, who gave His life for our salvation.
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The Phylogenetic Tree, originally drawn by Charles Darwin, represents Evolution. Being with the Cross represents its compatibility with Catholicism, as affirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 283.
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The Dove represents the Holy Sprit, who guides me in life.
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The tree is a Hornbeam tree, found in the Ardennes Forest, representing the continuation of St. Hubertus’ mission through the 21st century and beyond.
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The Shield represents the defense of the core values of Christianity.
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The Gold represents the infinite value of God.
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Designed by self using InkScape, with inspiration from www.freepik.com's pictures, and help from the Skills Factory YouTube Channel.
Figure 7: Die Bekehrung des Heiligen Hubertus
A Special Thanks
As found in my first citation below, much of this information on this page are from the International Order of St. Hubertus, founded in 1695 by Count Anton von Spork to promote wildlife conservation and ethical hunting. They did an exhaustive historical analysis of his life, which I, not affiliated with them, used for this page. So, in thanks, feel free to visit their website here: https://www.iosh-usa.com
Bibliography for this Page
“The History of St. Hubertus.” International Order of Saint Hubertus • Established Anno Domini 1695, www.iosh-usa.com/about-us/history-of-st-hubertus. Accessed 7 Sept. 2025.
“Hubertus.” Catholic Saints Day, 4 July 2023, catholicsaints.day/hubertus/#google_vignette.
“La Forêt - Syndicat Mixte Du Parc Naturel Régional Des Ardennes.” Wayback Machine, web.archive.org/web/20101226180628/www.parc-naturel-ardennes.fr/le-territoire/nature/la-foret.html#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url. Accessed 7 Sept. 2025.
Photo Credits for this Page
Forest at Night: Photo by Vital Sinkevich on Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/landscape-photography-of-forest-LAKQ3i-xn84
Figure 1: “Luik stadswapen.svg” by rode raaf licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Figure 2: „Die Bekehrung des Heiligen Hubertus“ by Wilhelm Räuber. Public Domain.
Figure 3: “St Hubert of Liège is consecrated bishop by Pope Sergius” by David Aubert, Loyset Liédet. Public Domain
Figure 4: Designed by www.freepik.com
Figure 5: Designed by self using MS Powerpoint
Figure 6: Necklace of St. Hubertus of Liège. Photo taken by self on September 7, 2025. Necklace can be found on https://www.patronsaintmedals.com/sterling-silver-st-hubert-liege-medal-0893ss/
Figure 7: „Die Bekehrung des Heiligen Hubertus“ by Wilhelm Räuber. Public Domain.