The Saints: St. Servatius

Died C. 384
Feast – May 13

Possibly Armenian by birth, Servatius zealously supported Athanasius in his long struggle for Christian orthodoxy. He was bishop of Tongeren, Belgium, one of the earliest dioceses in Europe’s Low Countries. He introduced Christianity to the Netherlands and became the first bishop of Maastricht, where he built a church dedicated to Mary over a Roman temple, still an important religious site. A well-traveled diplomat, Servatius attended several church councils and was a determined foe of the Arian heresy. He is the patron saint of Maastricht.