The Cathedral of Muggia
Recently, at the Archpriest Cathedral of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in the Municipality of Muggia (TS), the Federcaccia section of Venezia Giulia, in collaboration with the Drustvo slovenskih lovce "Doberdob" (Association that unites hunters of Slovenian language and culture) and theUNCZA (National Union of Alpine Zone Hunters) they honored their patron Saint Hubert with a holy mass celebrated by HE Archbishop Mons. Giampaolo Crepaldi Bishop of Trieste. The hunters took part in a very large number, all dressed in traditional dress and with great sympathy, they found the falconers of the National Union of Hunters and Falconers with as many as four falcons firmly attached to their master's arm. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Muggia (TS), the Mayor of Trieste former Mayor of Muggia, as well as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Carinthian town of Obervellach twinned with the Municipality of Muggia were also present at the celebration.
The sense of responsibility of hunters
During the homily, Bishop Crepaldi, assisted by the parish priests Don Samuele Cecotti and Don Alessandro Amodeo, focused on the sense of responsibility that hunters have towards nature and its sources of life, encouraging at the same time fraternal behavior and thoughts help nobles for each other within the community in which they live. Precisely to make clear the sense of unity among all the hunters, the mass was formulated in trilingual (Italian, Slovenian and German for the readings) and was animated by the music of the horn players group of the Serenade Ensemble musical association of Muggia and by the Choir of the Drustvo slovenskih lovce “Doberdob”. In the Duomo, in front of the altar, as per centuries-old tradition, a composition was created with a large trophy of deer, placed on a mantle of fir branches, to commemorate the apparition that the young and noble Uberto had, in the forest of the Ardennes on a Good Friday in the eighth century, when he decided to go hunting in breach of the duty of penance.
The story of Saint Hubert
In the middle of a fir forest a big deer came towards him, as if it wanted to challenge him, and Uberto saw that he was wearing a luminous cross above his head; at that moment an imperious voice ordered him to convert, to devote himself to the evangelization of those lands and to give himself to the neediest with works of charity. Uberto was very impressed by that event and from that moment he changed his life. He who belonged to the Merovingian family and who had power and all the comforts deriving from his coat of arms, instead dedicated himself to an intense work of evangelization in that part of northern Europe still under strong pagan influence. Before the blessing, the prayer of the mountain hunter was read in which God is thanked for being able to carry out the hunting practice; it reminds you of the meaning and value of animal sacrifice for the benefit of their sharing among men.
The celebration of Mass
After the celebration of Mass, all the participants went to a recreation room near the Cathedral for a nice convivial moment. As an element of the news it should be noted that the anniversary of Sant'Uberto is remembered by the Catholic Church on November 3, but in the diocese of Trieste on that day all liturgical attention can only be dedicated to San Giusto and even the hunters adapt to it by moving the remembrance of Saint Hubert at another date (source: FIDC).