Saint Livinus

He therefore crossed the Ocean with his disciples Fullien, Hélie, and Lilien, and landed among the Morini; he spread the divine seed among this people and throughout the country that today bears the name of West Flanders. He visited the monaste ry o Gand City where Livinus stayed and of which he is the patron saint. f Ghent, founded by Saint Amand, wher e he was recei saint Florbert Abbot of the monastery of Ghent who welcomed Livin. ved by Saint Florbert, the abbot . There he saint Bavon Saint whose tomb was visited by Livin, who also composed his epitaph. found the body of Saint Bavo, who, having been recently placed in his tomb, shone with great miracles. He composed an epitaph in verse which was engraved on his tomb. He celebrated the Holy Mass for thirty days in a row upon this same tomb. He then traveled through the various districts of Flanders and Brabant, and both by his word and by his miracles, converted a great number of souls to Jesus Christ.

While he was staying at a village of Ha uthem ( Hauthem Site of miracles and the saint's first burial place. Hauthem-Saint-Livin), where he lived on what Saint Florbert sent him, he restored the use of sight to his host's son, who had been blind for a long time already. He performed many other miraculous healings as well. He endured persecution, he even had his tongue cut out, but God restored it to him. He predicted his death and his martyrdom which took pla ce in Esche Site of the martyrdom of Saint Livinus. the village of Esche (Easchen-Saint-Livin), in the territory of Aalst, on the Dender (East Flanders); he had come there to preach the Gospel to the still pagan inhabitants, he was massacred and beheaded there by some perverse men, on November 12 of the year 657. Buried at Hauthem, his body was r aised f Thierry Bishop of Cambrai who performed the elevation of the saint's body in 842. rom the ground (842) by Thierry, Bishop of Cambrai. It was then transferred to the monastery of Saint-Bavon. Later, in the 11th century, Haubod, Bishop of Tournai, placed it in a silver shrine, where it remained until the 16th century, the time at wh Calvinistes Religious group that destroyed the saint's relics in 1567. ich it was destroyed by the Calvinists.

Saint Livin is represented: 1° with his tongue held in pincers or cut out with shears; 2° holding a candle in his hand, because he carried the torch of faith to the infidels; 3° with the sword, which was the instrument of his final martyrdom; 4° causing a fountain to spring forth under his pastoral staff (this fountain is still visited near the village of Hauthem); 5° with overturned idols near him; one can guess the meaning of this symbol.

Sa int Livin i Saint Livin Irish bishop and martyr, apostle of Flanders. s the patron sa int Gand City where Livinus stayed and of which he is the patron saint. of Ghent.

*Proper of Malines; Characteristics of the Saints.*