In autumn, hunting horns sound in many places for the Hubertus Mass. St Hubert is the best-known patron saint of hunters.
Who was Hubert of Liège?
Hubert lived around 700 in what is now the Belgian-French region. According to tradition he was a court official, became a pupil of Bishop Lambert of Maastricht and later succeeded him as bishop, with his seat in Liège. He evangelised in the Ardennes and died on 30 May 727. His relics were elevated on 3 November 743, which the feast day commemorates.
Legend and tradition
The well-known legend tells how Hubert rode out hunting on Good Friday and saw a stag with a shining cross between its antlers. A voice is said to have admonished him to change his life. This story also appears of St Eustace and was attributed to Hubert only many centuries later. It is a legend.
Feast day
In the German-speaking world, the feast day of St Hubert is 3 November, the day on which his relics were elevated in 743. The day of his death is 30 May. Regional and denominational calendars may differ.
Patronage
- Hunters and foresters
- Marksmen and nature lovers
- In popular belief: protection against rabies
“Patron saint” means that people ask this saint to intercede for them with God. No guarantee or promise of miracles is attached to it.
Attributes and depiction
Hubert is depicted as a bishop or as a hunter on horseback with a stag bearing a cross between its antlers.
A short prayer
St Hubert, teach us to respect nature and to meet it with reverence. Pray for all who bear responsibility for forest and animals. Amen.
A simple prayer in our own words, to pray along.
Customs
Around 3 November, hunting associations invite people to the Hubertus Mass, often with hunting horns and a blessing of the hunting dogs. In equestrian sport, hunts in honour of St Hubert mark the close of the year.
The so-called St Hubert’s key was formerly used in popular belief against rabies.
Today
Today Hubert is understood not only as the patron of the hunt but also as the patron of a respectful way of treating creation. The Hubertus Mass reminds hunters that their craft means responsibility: for the forest, for game management and for the individual animal. Anyone called Hubert or Huberta celebrates their name day on 3 November. In many parishes the legend of the stag is also told to children, as a story about conversion and reverence.
Matching items at LUNEXUS
- St Hubert with stag – hand-carved wooden statue from South Tyrol
- St Wendelin – hand-carved wooden statue from South Tyrol
- St Francis of Assisi – hand-carved wooden statue from South Tyrol
St Wendelin is the patron saint of shepherds and farmers, and St Francis the patron saint of animals and the environment: both go well with Hubert.
The wooden statues from our woodcarving workshop are hand-carved in Val Gardena (South Tyrol) and come directly from the workshop: delivery time approx. 3–4 weeks, insured shipping to Germany and Austria only (€6.90). The statues are not blessed in our warehouse, and the 14-day statutory right of withdrawal applies to them.
More to choose from: saint statues from South Tyrol and all patron saints. Parishes and groups will find an offer on request on the quantity discount page (does not apply to wooden statues from the woodcarving workshop).
Keep reading in the magazine: All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day: meaning and customs
Frequently asked questions
When is St Hubert’s Day?
In the German-speaking world on 3 November. The day of his death is 30 May.
Why is Hubert the patron saint of hunters?
Because of the stag legend, in which a stag with a cross between its antlers moves him to conversion.
What is a Hubertus Mass?
A service at which hunting-horn players perform and thanks is given for forest and game.
Sources: Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon (Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints), the Martyrologium Romanum and the regional calendar for the German-speaking area. We flag legends as such; prayers are, unless stated otherwise, our own simple wording. Compiled by Denis & Belinda, as of October 2026.
