St Hubert later became honoured by sportsmen as the originator of ethical hunting behaviour, although he renounced hunting after he had his vision. Eventually he became Bishop of Liege in 708 AD. Hubert gave all his wealth to the poor and studied for the priesthood, living a holy life, fasting and praying. Hubert then went to Bishop Lambert who became his spiritual guide. Hubert dismounted his horse and prostrated himself, saying, ‘Lord, what would You have me do?’ and the reply came, ‘Go and seek Lambert and he will instruct you’. Suddenly, as the stag turned round, a crucifix appeared between his antlers and a voice said, ‘Hubert, unless you turn to the Lord and lead a holy life, you shall quickly go down to hell’. One Good Friday, when every one else was at Church, he was hunting in the forest, pursuing a magnificent stag. As the legend tells, he lived in a forest in the Ardennes as a hunter. St Hubert (c 656 – 727 AD) is inaccurately known as the patron saint of hunters. The conservation society, Cymdeithas Melangell, now promotes animal welfare Her church remained a place of sanctuary throughout the Middle Ages and the hares continued to be protected in the parish. Melangell lived there as a solitary for 37 years, after which a church with a shrine was built over her cell. Impressed by her piety and courage, he made a vow to present her with his lands for the service of God, that they might be a perpetual asylum, refuge and defence. The baying hounds also came under her calming influence and the exasperated prince gave up the chase and sat to listen to her story of escape and exile from Ireland. His hounds pursued their prey into a bramble thicket and, following them, he found a young woman praying and given up to divine contemplation, with the hare lying under the fold of her garments. In 604 AD the Prince of Powys, Brochwel Ysgithrog, went hare hunting at Pennant in the Derwyn Hills. St Melangell is the Welsh patron saint of animals. He cared for humans as well as for animals and saved an ex-Dominican heretic from execution. He released captured mice into places of safety and expressed pity for animals on their way to slaughter. He would also insist on flies being let out of the window instead of being swatted. On another occasion he was given a brace of live partridges for a meal, but he set them free. But afterwards he worried whether he had done the right thing, as it was so small that it wouldn’t know where to go. Philip told them not to squeeze the bird or hurt it, but to open the window and let it fly away. At one time, someone found a young bird in the chapel and brought it to him. He also set captive birds free which, by their own choice, would not leave him. Once, passing a butcher’s shop he said, ‘If everyone was like me, they wouldn’t kill animals’. Although he is best known as the founder of the Oratory Movement, he embraced vegetarianism on the grounds of animal welfare, not just on the grounds of abstinence. St Philip Neri (1515 AD – 1595 AD) was an unusually late saint to be concerned with animals. She was kind to the cats that hung around her monastery, offering them food and affection. Gertrude was known for offering hospitality to animals as well as people. She also spent lots of time in prayer vigils. Gertrude helped build new churches and hospitals, and she took care of travellers and local people in need (such as widows and orphans). Gertrude did become a nun, and she worked with her mother to start a monastery at Nivelles, Belgium, where they both served as co-leaders. When Gertrude was 10 years old, King Dagobert tried to arrange a marriage between her and the son of an Austrian duke in order to form a political alliance, but Gertrude refusSt Gertrudeed to marry him because she wanted to become a nun in the church instead, saying that she would only be married to Jesus Christ. She was born into a noble family who lived at King Dagobert’s court in Belgium, where her father served as mayor of Dagobert’s palace. St Gertrude of Nivelles (626 AD – 659 AD) was the patron saint of cats and also gardeners, travellers and widows.
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