Hilary isn't the most well known of all the saints. Although he is considered one of the greatest theologian-saints in the calendar. I'm sure you've gotten the question, as I do nearly every Sunday, "Who was St. Hilary?" Or even, "What did she do?" And we've all heard jokes confusing his name with a certain public figure with the feminine version of the same name.

So, who was St. Hilary and why should we care that we call ourselves by his name?

Hilary was born in Poitiers in what is now France in 315. He died there in either 367 or 368 (whether on November 1 or January 13 is open for debate.) He was named a saint shortly after his death and was declared a "Doctor of the Divinity of Christ" by Pope Pius IX in 1851. His feast day is now celebrated on January 13.

Hilary was born into a wealthy, pagan family. He studied rhetoric and philosophy and was known as an orator He married and had a daughter now known as Saint Afra. He experienced conversion in his mid-thirties and was baptized along with his wife and daughter. He was made bishop of Poitiers in 353. (According to one source, he and his wife had to live separately so that he could be ordained. Quite a sacrifice on both of their parts.)

There was a major controversy raging in the Church in the 4th century between those that claimed that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine - he was of the same substance as God the Father - and those that claimed he was not as divine as God the Father - he was of a similar substance. This has become known as the Arian controversy. Most of the Orthodox theology (Jesus was God) was being promoted in the eastern and Greek speaking part of the world. Most of western Latin speaking, Europe was Arian (Jesus was like God). Hilary was the first theologian to argue for orthodoxy using western thought, philosophy, culture and language.

His orthodox stance caused him to be exiled for several years. It was during his exile that he did most of his writing on the Trinity and on the theology of the church. While in exile, he was never replaced as bishop of Poitiers because the priests would rather "pretend he was still there" rather than risk getting someone they didn't want. He was returned to his diocese in 360, mainly because he was causing so much trouble in Phrygia where he had been sent that the Arian bishops asked that he be returned.

Hilary was a prolific writer and poet and was one of the earliest hymn writers. Although he is not one of the most well known of historical theologians, his influence was vast. He was a contemporary of Athanasius. He was Martin of Tours' spiritual director and guide. St. Jerome considered Hilary an inspiration.

I believe that it would be safe to say that if it weren't for the determination, persuasive abilities and courage of Hilary of Poitiers, Arianism would have captured the day in western Europe. It is probably in great part, because of Hilary that western Europe, and therefore we, have grown up in a faith that claims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and in fact is true God of True God.

Hilary is the patron saint of those bitten by snakes and learning disabled children and according to some sources, of lawyers. There is a legend that while visiting an island off the coast of France, Hilary ran all of the snakes into the sea (an incredibly similar legend to that of Patrick of Ireland). Hilary's bed was kept on display in the Cathedral of Poitiers for years. It was said that if a "madman" were to spend a night in the "cradle of St. Hilary" he would be cured.

In art work, Hilary is often pictured with three books, a pen, a snake, a cradle or with Martin of Tours. Our window in the back of the church, pictures him in the Eucharistic vestments of a bishop with three books, a pen and a snake.

When this congregation was being formed in 1958 the founding men and women looked for a name that would capture the spirit that was driving them to start a new church way down south of Fort Myers. It seems that several lawyers were involved in the early settlement of this congregation and in fact have been throughout our history. So, Hilary, because of his connection to lawyers, was chosen as our patron. We are one of 3 St. Hilary's Episcopal Churches in the U.S., although there are some Roman Catholic Churches in the US and several in Europe.

So now that we know who Hilary was and how we came to be called by his name, why should we care that we are St. Hilary's Episcopal Church? Is St. Hilary relevant to our life and times, or is he simply a name from the past?

Hilary lived in a time of great upheaval in the church. There were two distinct camps in the church. Both, of course, thought they were right and the other not only wrong, but evil. People died over this dispute. Churches split. Hilary lost his job, his home, his friends. The issue was vitally important. Was Jesus divine or not. Kind of central to our faith.

Hilary lived among people that believed differently than he. Yet he found a way to maintain his faith, and to share it. His efforts changed the shape of history.

You know, in retrospect, we've done alright with Jesus is God. I think if we had ended up with the Arian faith that Jesus was like God, we'd find ourselves like the Buddhist with a special holy man and a great philosophy of living. But, it wouldn't be the dynamic faith we have today.

There are a whole bunch of really holy people out there. Gandhi was, I believe a gift from God to all of us, but he didn't rise from the dead nor promise that we would live forever. Luther was a holy man, but he wasn't the perfect man. There are those who died for their faith like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. But, his death didn't free us from anything.

The first cornerstone of our faith is that God humbled himself to come as a powerless, helpless baby. Fully human and fully divine. Jesus Christ is the perfect man. He is the image of God in which we were made.

This perfect man died so that we would go to heaven when we die. No philosophy or even martyrdom can do that. Jesus can because he is the very Son of God.

It is frightening to think that our faith of today hinged on the vote of 318 bishops in a dank cathedral in what is now Turkey. It wasn't unanimous. We believe that the Holy Spirit was present and guided the minds of the victors. But did the Holy Spirit Passover the Arians?

Hmmmm. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Except in the case of faith communities where one person has the final say on doctrine, Christian doctrine has been decided by some sort of consensus or vote. Gene Robinson is a bishop because a majority of people in New Hampshire and the General Convention of 2003 voted that he should be. We use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer because a majority of deputies to the 1976 and 1979 General Conventions voted it so. Those of us who lament either of these decisions no doubt feel that the Holy Spirit was not heeded, while those of us who welcome these actions believe they were led by the Holy Spirit.

I think it a dangerous thing if we determine the will of God by a vote. So what we do is determine the doctrine of the Church hoping that we have discerned God's Will. The Church, being made up of imperfect people has made mistakes along the way. The inquisition, the crusades, the trial of Galileo. Objectively observed failures. Other doctrinal decisions aren't so cut and dried. Up to 1990, I was vehemently opposed to the ordination of women to the priesthood. I've turned 180 degrees. Did the Holy Spirit wait until seminary to visit me? I doubt it. More likely, it wasn't until 1990 that I allowed the Holy Spirit to talk to me about that subject.

I think it's important to note that the Arians of Hilary's day didn't go off and form another religion. They stayed, for the most part, within the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Why? I'm not sure, but I would think it was because they knew that the Church was about more than this doctrine, as important as it was.

I have been asked why I believe being a part of the Episcopal Church and participating with our time and money is important even in the face of sea changes in theology and practice. It is because I believe that the Episcopal Church is about more than the issues being debated.

God guided the 4th century church through horrible division and strife and led us, as imperfect as the church is, to what it is today. Nothing less than the hope of salvation rested in the hands of 318 men. Thank God, one of them was Hilary.