St. Hubert (about 656–727) is the patron saint of hunters: a nobleman who lived for the chase until, according to the legend, a stag turned to face him with a shining crucifix between its antlers. He gave up his rank and wealth, became a priest and then bishop of Maastricht and Liège, and spent his life bringing the faith to the forests of the Ardennes. His feast day is November 3, in the heart of hunting season, when hunters in Belgium, France, Germany and beyond gather for St. Hubert Masses and blessings. Below are prayers to St. Hubert for hunters, for safety in the field and for hunting dogs, the story of his conversion, and what the Church says about hunting.
A short prayer to St. Hubert, written for this page:
St. Hubert, you met Christ in the forest and turned your whole life toward Him.
Watch over all hunters: keep us safe, make us skilled and fair,
grateful for God’s creation, and always ready to hear His call.
St. Hubert, pray for us. Amen.
Prayers to St. Hubert
Written for this page.
A hunter’s prayer before the hunt
Lord God, Creator of the forests and the fields and every creature in them,
I thank you for this day outdoors and for the gift of the hunt.
Through the prayers of St. Hubert, keep me and those with me safe from accident,
give me patience, a steady hand and a careful eye,
help me to take only what I need, to make a clean and ethical shot,
and to respect the land, the game and the law.
And whatever I bring home, let me come home grateful. Amen.
For safety in the field
St. Hubert, protect all who hunt today.
Guard us from careless shots, falls and cold, and from every harm on the road there and back.
Bring each of us home to our families. Amen.
For hunting dogs
St. Hubert, whose abbey gave the world its finest hounds,
bless our dogs, keep them healthy and safe in the field,
and help us care for them as faithful gifts from God. Amen.
See also our prayers for pets.
A prayer of thanksgiving after the hunt
Thank you, Lord, for the life of this animal and for the food it will give my family.
Help me to use it well and to waste nothing. Amen.
The stag and the crucifix
As a young man Hubert was a courtier at the court of the Franks, and his great passion was hunting. According to the legend, one Good Friday morning, while the faithful were going to church, Hubert rode out to hunt. As he chased a magnificent stag, the animal turned, and Hubert saw a crucifix shining between its antlers and heard a voice: “Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest an holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into hell.” He dismounted, fell to the ground, and asked, as St. Paul had asked on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:6):
And he trembling and astonished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
The voice told him to seek out St. Lambert, the bishop of Maastricht. The same story was told earlier of St. Eustace, a Roman general, and was attached to St. Hubert in the late Middle Ages; but the heart of it, a worldly man who heard Christ’s call and changed his life, is true of Hubert.
Who was St. Hubert?
Hubert was born about 656 into a noble Frankish family and became an officer at the court of Pepin of Herstal. He married Floribanne, and they had a son, Floribert. After his wife’s death, Hubert gave away his wealth to the poor, gave up his titles, and became a disciple of St. Lambert, bishop of Maastricht, who ordained him a priest.
When St. Lambert was murdered about 705, Hubert succeeded him as bishop. He later moved the see to Liège, where Lambert had been martyred, and is honored as the first bishop of Liège. He preached tirelessly in the Ardennes forest, where pagan worship still survived, and was known for his fasting, his care for the poor and his eloquence. He died on May 30, 727 or 728, at Tervuren near Brussels, with the words of the Our Father on his lips. In 825 his body was moved to the abbey in the Ardennes that took his name, Saint-Hubert, in what is now Belgium.
What is St. Hubert the patron saint of?
St. Hubert is the patron saint of:
- Hunters and huntsmen, foresters and gamekeepers
- Hunting dogs, and those in danger from rabies or dog bites
- The city of Liège and the Ardennes region
- Trappers, archers and metalworkers in some places
In the Middle Ages he was invoked against rabies, and the monks of Saint-Hubert Abbey bred the famous St. Hubert hounds, ancestors of the bloodhound. The stag with a cross between its antlers, his emblem, is still seen on hunting badges and coats of arms across Europe.
Feast day and St. Hubert Mass
The feast of St. Hubert is November 3, the anniversary of the translation of his relics. In 2026 it falls on a Tuesday. In Belgium, France and Germany, hunting clubs celebrate a St. Hubert Mass (Messe de Saint-Hubert), often with hunting horns played in church, followed by a blessing of hunters, hounds and horses. Bread blessed in his honor was once given to protect people and animals from rabies. In the United States, some parishes hold a hunters’ Mass or blessing near his feast, just before deer season.
What the Church says about hunting
The Catechism teaches that God entrusted the animals to human stewardship, so “it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing,” but also that “it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly” (CCC 2417–2418). The ethical hunter honors both: hunting lawfully, taking a clean shot, wasting nothing, and caring for the land. See St. Francis and the animals.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of hunters?
St. Hubert, bishop of Liège, who died in 727. St. Eustace, a Roman martyr with the same stag legend, is also a patron of hunters.
When is St. Hubert’s feast day?
November 3.
What does the stag with a cross mean?
It recalls the vision that converted St. Hubert: a stag with a crucifix between its antlers, a sign that Christ was calling him to a new life.
More saints and prayers
- Patron saint of math
- Patron saints of sports and hobbies
- Patron saint of animals
- Catholic prayers for pets
- St. Florian prayer
- Catholic prayer for protection
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Acts 9:6 (Douay-Rheims).
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “St. Hubert,” by C. F. Wemyss Brown, public domain (Wikisource).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2417–2418.