CatholicSaints.Info

Also known as

• Allowin
• Bavon
• Bavone
• Bavonius
• Baaf

Memorial

• 1 October

Profile

Belgian nobleman who spent a wild youth, noted for selfishness; known to have sold his servants as slaves to local noble houses. Married, and the father of one daughter, Adeltrude. Widower. Converted after hearing a sermon by Saint Amand of Maastricht. Built an abbey on his estate, called Saint Peter‘s in his day and Saint Bavo’s today. He turned it over to Saint Amand, and became a monk in the house. He finally gave his estate to the house, his belongings to the poor, and lived as a recluse in a hollow tree and later a cell in the forest near the abbey.

Born

• 589 at Brabant, Liege, Belgium as Allowin

Died

• 654 at Saint Bavo’s abbey of natural causes

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Patronage

• against pertussis or whooping cough
• –
• Netherlands
• –
• in Belgium
  • Ghent
  • Liege
  • Wilrijk
• in the Netherlands
  • Haarlem, city of
  • Haarlem-Amsterdam, diocese of

Representation

• duke hunting with a falcon or hawk on his wrist
• prince giving alms in front of his palace
• hermit near hollow tree
• hermit with staff and a glove (which is probably related to falconry)
• man near a wagon
• man standing near a huge stone
• man with a purse or giving alms
• man with an angel holding a palm above him
• man with sword and scepter
• old king in armor near a book, broken tree trunk, ship, and Saint Bavo’s monastery

MLA Citation

• “Saint Bavo of Ghent“. CatholicSaints.Info. 22 January 2024. Web. 15 May 2024. <>