Shortly after the death of his wife, Bavo decided to reform after hearing a sermon preached by Saint Amand (c. 584 – 679) on the emptiness of material things.

Wishing to atone for his earlier deed, Bavo had the man lead him by a chain to the town jail.

He distributed his belongings to the poor and lived as a recluse, first in a hollow tree and later in a cell in the forest by the abbey.

Bavo is the patron saint of Ghent, Zellik, and Lauwe in Belgium, and Haarlem[5] in the Netherlands.

In medieval Ghent, taxes were paid on Bavo's feast day, and it is for this reason he is often shown holding a purse or money bag.