| Saint Bavo | |
|---|---|
 Saint Bavo, as depicted on the coat-of-arms of Wilrijk |
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| Born | 589, |
| Died | 654 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Feast | October 1 |
| Patronage | Ghent; Haarlem |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Bavo of Ghent, (also known as Bavon, Allowin, and Baaf), (589 – 654) is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint.
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Life
Bavo was born near Liège, Belgium, to a Frankish noble family that gave him the name Allowin. His father was Pippin of Landen, the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia. Wild as a youth and selfish, he was known to have sold servants to local nobles as slaves. He contracted a beneficial marriage, and had a daughter through it. He however led a undisciplined and disorderly life. Shortly after the death of his wife, Bavo decided to reform himself. Bavo was converted to Christianity upon hearing a sermon preached by Saint Amand. Bavo traveled with Amand for some time in his missionary work through France and Flanders. On one occasion, Bavo met a man whom he had sold years before. Wishing to atone for this earlier conduct, Bavo had the man lead him by chain to the town jail. He built an abbey on his grounds and became a monk. He distributed his belongings to the poor and lived as a recluse, first in a hollow tree, later in a cell in the forest near the Abbey. He died at St. Bavo's Abbey in Ghent, in today's Belgium.
Veneration
Bavo is the patron saint of Ghent, Belgium and Haarlem, the Netherlands. According to Rodulfus Glaber, the city of Bamberg is named after him, with Bamberg meaning 'Mount of Bavo'. His feast day in the Orthodox Church is October 1. Several churches are dedicated to him, including:
- Saint Bavo Cathedral, in Ghent
- Sint-Bavokerk and Sint-Bavo Cathedral, both in Haarlem
- Sint-Bavokerk in Heemstede
- Saint Bavo Church and School, in Mishawaka, Indiana
His picture is also part of the Coat of Arms of the Antwerp suburb Wilrijk.
References
- Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0140513124.
External links
- (Italian) San Bavone di Gand
