Four Holy Marshals

[1] They are conceived as standing particularly close to throne of God, and thus powerful intercessors.

They are considered “marshals of God” and were invoked against diseases and epidemics during the Middle Ages.

[2][3] The devotion reached its high point in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and diminished by the seventeenth.

[4] The four saints are: In terms of protection over animals, Anthony is the patron of pigs, Cornelius cattle, Hubertus dogs, and Quirinus horses.

[1] In addition, each saint has its own particular place of special veneration: Anthony was venerated at Cologne, Hubertus at St-Hubert in the Ardennes, Cornelius at Aachen, and Quirinus at Neuss.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria with two of the Four Holy Marshals: Saint Quirinus (left) and Saint Hubertus (middle). The small kneeling figure is the donor.