The Feast of St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church

A favourite patron of mine! He converted to Christianity through learning gradually of the faith and realising its sense and meaning, especially the Prophets and Psalms.

He became Bishop of Poitiers around 350 AD and a staunch opponent of the various Arian factions – who denied the Divinity of Christ – who abounded at that time. The Arians had many powerful allies, including the Emperor Constantius, and Hilary was exiled to ‘the furthest coasts of Phrygia’. He took the opportunity to travel through the Eastern Empire, fighting heresy and completing many writings. He made such a nuisance of hisself that he was exiled back to Poitiers again, taking a splendidly indirect route that allowed him to continue his preaching. His disciples at Poitiers, where he ended his life, included St. Martin of Tours (of ‘cloak’ fame).

He is patron against snake bites, apparently (the reptiles rather than the cider-based drink, one imagines) and also wrote the earliest hymns of the Western church to have a known author. His supposed relics are housed at Puys.

"I must pray for [God's] merciful help so that when I spread the sails of our faith, you will fill them with the breath of your Spirit and carry us forward."