Saint Evermar

Evermar, having fulfilled his vows near the tombs of those Saints, went to M aastricht Maestricht Final destination of the pilgrimage of Evermar. to visit that of Saint Servatius. Arriving at the entrance of a forest named Ruthe, he did not cross it, for fear of losing his way during the darkness of the night that was beginning to fall. He stopped in the village of Herstapel, located in the vicinity. This village was then occupied by a ce rtain Hacco Leader of a band of brigands and murderer of Evermar. Hacco and his band, who robbed and murdered all those who passed through the woods and on the public roads. So that no one would escape him, Hacco had built, on the banks of the Meuse, a house which, after him, was named Hactelet. Evermar, who knew nothing of this, went straight to this house to spend the night. Hacco's wife, who feared God and loved to serve strangers, received our Saint and his companions with great friendship, and, after treating them well, advised them to leave the next day before the break of dawn, in order to escape the hands of her husband. They followed the advice of this pious woman, and, having left early the next morning, they entered the forest of Ruthe. However, Hacco, having learned that strangers had spent the night in his house, became furious, for he thought he would appear a coward if these strangers crossed the country without hindrance. He ran to the woods with his troop to look for them, and arrived unexpectedly at a place where he found them asleep. Hacco threw himself upon them and accused them of deceit for having come into his domains without paying the toll: and since they were now fleeing like thieves, he decreed the death penalty against them. At these words, he fell upon Evermar and took his life; after that, he subjected his companions to the same fate. The assassins, after stripping the bodies, left them without burial. They were found by some people from the retinue of Pepin, who was indulging in the pleasure of hunting in that area. These people buried them, and, having noticed in the body of Evermar a radiance and beauty that distinguished him from the others, they gave him a more honorable burial.

The woods having been cleared subsequently, a village called Ruthe or Rotthem, today Rüsson, arose in that place, along with a church under the invocation of Saint Martin, served by a priest named Ruzelin, who led a very holy life. This priest discovered the burial place of Evermar in an extraordinary manner and reported it to Euracle, B ishop o Euracle Bishop of Liège who ordered the translation of the body. f Liège, who ordered the body to be exhumed and transferred to the church of Saint Martin in Rüsson, where many miracles occurred that confirmed the holiness of Evermar. The ceremony of this translation took place around the year 908. Another translation of these relics took place under the episcopate of Theoduin, who governed the church of Liège from 1646 to 1675.

The Bollandists Bellandistes A society of Jesuit scholars who publish the Acta Sanctorum. have published (vol.: malf.), the life of Saint Evermar and the history of his translations and miracles. See A.A. SS. Belgii selecta, vol. v, p. 275-287.

The Bollandists have published (vol.: malf.), the life of Saint Evermar and the history of his translations and miracles. See A.A. SS. Belgii selecta, vol. v, p. 275-287.