Saint Eustace
Also known as
• Eustachius
• Placidus
memorial
• 20 September
Profile
Our saint for today is often confused with St. Hubert of Lieges due to similar stories about hunting and finding male deer with crucifixes in their antlers, perhaps this was common back in the 2-4 centuries…affixing crucifixes between deer antlers….who knows? Hubert and Eustace share this symbol.
Eustace is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and as such has a special place in my heart. He is the patron saint of hunters, if you look at a bottle of the adult beverage Jaegermeister (which means Hunt Master) their trademark is the symbol of our saint for today. Jaeger Schnitzel is Hunters style schnitzel…..one of my favorite foods with spaetzel and red cabbage….I digress
Eustace was a successful Roman general in the army of the emperor Trajan. He and his family all converted to Christianity following a hunting trip during which he saw a glowing cross between the antlers of a stag, after which he received a prophecy that he would suffer for Christ. The prophesy was true.
As these things went in the second century he was eventually denounced as a Christian, he lost his property, was reduced to abject poverty, and Roman authorities took his wife and children.
However, being a capable general, he was recalled to duty by Trajan to help repel barbarians from Rome. Rather than telling Trajan to go scratch, Eustace answered the call. He once again served the Empire well and was victorious. He and his family were reunited with the expectation they would sacrifice to Roman idols in thanks for a military victory. When the Eustace family all refused, an enraged and ungrateful Emperor ordered them thrown to the lions; the big cats played like kittens around them, so they were martyred together by being cooked in the belly of a bronze bull in the year 188. I assume the Emperor manufactured Hollow Bronze Bulls for just such an emergency.
Patronage
• against fire
• against torture
• difficult situations
• fire prevention
• firefighters
• hunters
• hunting
• huntsmen
• torture victims
• trappers
Representation
• bull
• crucifix
• horn
• oven
• stag with a crucifix between it’s antlers as on a Jagermieister bottle
• 20 September
Profile
Our saint for today is often confused with St. Hubert of Lieges due to similar stories about hunting and finding male deer with crucifixes in their antlers, perhaps this was common back in the 2-4 centuries…affixing crucifixes between deer antlers….who knows? Hubert and Eustace share this symbol.
Eustace is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and as such has a special place in my heart. He is the patron saint of hunters, if you look at a bottle of the adult beverage Jaegermeister (which means Hunt Master) their trademark is the symbol of our saint for today. Jaeger Schnitzel is Hunters style schnitzel…..one of my favorite foods with spaetzel and red cabbage….I digress
Eustace was a successful Roman general in the army of the emperor Trajan. He and his family all converted to Christianity following a hunting trip during which he saw a glowing cross between the antlers of a stag, after which he received a prophecy that he would suffer for Christ. The prophesy was true.
As these things went in the second century he was eventually denounced as a Christian, he lost his property, was reduced to abject poverty, and Roman authorities took his wife and children.
However, being a capable general, he was recalled to duty by Trajan to help repel barbarians from Rome. Rather than telling Trajan to go scratch, Eustace answered the call. He once again served the Empire well and was victorious. He and his family were reunited with the expectation they would sacrifice to Roman idols in thanks for a military victory. When the Eustace family all refused, an enraged and ungrateful Emperor ordered them thrown to the lions; the big cats played like kittens around them, so they were martyred together by being cooked in the belly of a bronze bull in the year 188. I assume the Emperor manufactured Hollow Bronze Bulls for just such an emergency.
Patronage
• against fire
• against torture
• difficult situations
• fire prevention
• firefighters
• hunters
• hunting
• huntsmen
• torture victims
• trappers
Representation
• bull
• crucifix
• horn
• oven
• stag with a crucifix between it’s antlers as on a Jagermieister bottle
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