Amand, Saint
Amand, Saint
Confessor , apostle of Flanders, born Nantes, France , 594; died monastery of Elnon (now Saint Amand), 684. Clotaire II sent him to Flanders; his monasteries at Ghent and Mount Blandin were the first in Belgium . For a while bishop of Maastricht, he later labored in the Basque country (Navarre), returned to Belgium , and founded several other monasteries . Patron of inn-keepers, wine-merchants, brewers, and Boy Scouts. Emblems : church, chair, flag. Relics at Saint Amand. Feast , 6 February .