St. Hubert was born into the splendours of court circles, in the middle of the 7th Century A.D. Son of a Royal Duke of Aquitaine, his grandfather was the renowned Charibet, King of Toulouse. Little seems to be known of his childhood days, but it can be assumed that the upbringing of one of such noble birth would be based on a military training, combined with an introduction to the sport of Kings and nobles - that of the chase.

At the age of twenty, he had made a reputation for himself in the neighbouring courts as a 'bon viveur', and one whose skill in the art of hunting was only surpassed by his enthusiasm. We are told he had a charming manner and was held in high esteem by everybody, especially the huntsmen whom he had led in search of wild boar and stags in the neighbouring forest of Ardennes.

In the year A.D. 682 he married the daughter of a nobleman, a girl called Floriban, but little did he realise that within himself a great spiritual revolution was imminent.

His chronicler tells us, that whilst the faithful were crowding the churches on a Good Friday, he set out to hunt stag in the forest. During the chase of a magnificent beast, he became separated from his companions. It seems he was closing for the kill, when suddenly the stag turned round in its tracks and stood barring the way through the ride in the forest. He drew his horse to a halt, and was astounded to see a crucifix between the antlers of the stag, shining with light. In the stillness a voice from the stag exhorted him to turn to the Lord and lead a holy life or he would go down to the depths of hell. Dismounting he knelt before the beast seeking advice, whereupon he was told to offer his services to Bishop Lambert of Maastricht.

Apparently the advice was not taken immediately, and two years later the death of his wife in childbirth was followed by his father's death. These two tragedies seemed to rob him of his zest for living, for he renounced his military and ducal titles and, selling his posessions, gave the money to the poor. Having offered the remainder of his life to the Church, he was ordered by Bishop Lambert to live for ten years as a hermit in the forest of the Ardennes to humble himself, and atone for his many sins. Soon after the return to his consecrated life, Bishop Lambert sent him on a pilgrimage to Rome. During the visit the Bishop was assasinated and legend relates that at the same hour this was revealed to the Pope in a vision, together with an injunction to appoint St. Hubert thirty first Bishop of Maastricht in his place.

St. Hubert returned to Maastricht to carry out his duties, and later in his life as a reward for his good work was appointed first Bishop of Liege.

Idolatry still lingered in the vastness of the forest of the Ardennes, and in his old age he set out to convert these pagans. This, at the time, was regarded as a most dangerous and practically impossible task; his kindness and sincerity won over the hearts of these wild people to Christianity.

His work in the forest he loved so well, coupled with the fact that he was buried in the heart of it, caused these huntsmen to regard him as their patron. It was here that the story was born of his witnessing the stag with the crucifix, and so his patronage of huntsmen passed into other parts of Europe, and now the world.

He died on the 30th May, A.D. 727, at Tervueren, about twelve miles from Liege, where he was buried. Sixteen years after his death on November 3rd, A.D. 743, his bones were taken up by the clergy of Leige and exalted. Subsequently, about the year A.D. 825 his remains were removed* to a town called Andain in the Ardennes, where a monastery and a town grew up, which was named after him.

It seems odd that the 'Apostle of the Ardennes' as he is known should become the patron Saint of a sport which he sacrificed, in order to devote his life to the Church. However, it may be that, in converting the pagens of the Ardennes, he won his way to their hearts by his intimate knowledge of hunting, and so on his death was appointed the patron of their sport.

*The body of SaintHubert (about 656 - 727) was exhumed in 825 from St Peter's in Liège, a church he founded, and moved to the Abbey of Andagium, St-Hubert-des-Ardennes). Though long dead, his body was undecayed, proving his sainthood to the figures gathered to watch.