# Mathias Hovius

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Roman Catholic archbishop (1542–1620)

Mathias Hovius Archbishop of Mechelen Matthias Hovius – by Lucas Franchoys the Elder (attributed) Church Roman Catholic Archdiocese Mechelen See St. Rumbold's Cathedral Predecessor Joannes Hauchin Successor Jacobus Boonen Orders Ordination 1566 Consecration 18 February 1596 Personal details Born 1542 (1542) Mechelen Died 30 May 1620(1620-05-30) (aged 77–78) Affligem Buried St. Rumbold's Cathedral Alma mater University of Leuven Motto Superat Patientia Fortem (Patience Overcomes the Strong)

**Mathias Hovius** (1542–1620), born **Matthijs Van Hove**, was the third [Archbishop of Mechelen](/source/Archdiocese_of_Mechelen-Brussels) from 1596 to 1620. As Archbishop, Hovius presided over implementing the [Catholic Reformation](/source/Catholic_Reformation) in the [Spanish Netherlands](/source/Spanish_Netherlands).

## Early career

Hovius was born in [Mechelen](/source/Mechelen) in 1542; his father was a [fuller](/source/Fulling). Hovius attended the [Standonck College](/source/Jan_Standonck) in Mechelen, and later studied theology and philosophy at [Leuven University](/source/Old_University_of_Leuven), and was ordained priest in 1566, the year [iconoclasm](/source/Iconoclasm) broke out in the [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands). While pastor at Saints Peter and Paul's Church in Mechelen, Hovius witnessed the [Spanish Fury at Mechelen](/source/Spanish_Fury_at_Mechelen) in 1572, and the [English Fury at Mechelen](/source/English_Fury_at_Mechelen) in 1580, both during the [Eighty Years' War](/source/Eighty_Years'_War).[1]

## Vicar-General

Hovius was appointed [vicar-general](/source/Vicar-general) of the archdiocese of Mechelen upon the death of Archbishop [Joannes Hauchin](/source/Joannes_Hauchin) in 1589.[1]

## Archbishop

In 1596, Hovius was consecrated the third Archbishop of Mechelen.[1] Among his accomplishments were the founding of a seminary[2] and the creation of a [catechism](/source/Catechism) with help from the [Jesuits](/source/Jesuits). The *Mechelen Catechism* remained a standard in Catholic religious education in Belgium until well into the twentieth century.

On 14 November 1599 he installed [Joanne Berkeley](/source/Joanne_Berkeley) as the first abbess of a new Benedictine convent in Brussels. The new convent had been approved by the pope and the local authorities and it was funded by [Mary Percy](/source/Mary_Percy_(abbess)) who was one of the first nuns.[3]

In 1607, Hovius convened a provincial council in Mechelen to implement the decrees of the [Council of Trent](/source/Council_of_Trent) in the archdiocese.[2] After an official enquiry, in 1604, Hovius approved the cult of [Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel](/source/Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_Scherpenheuvel),[4] In 1606, the newly constructed shrine received a papal indulgence. He also promoted the veneration of the [Martyrs of Gorkum](/source/Martyrs_of_Gorkum). He was supported in his efforts by [Albert](/source/Archduke_Albert_of_Austria_(1559%E2%80%931621)) and [Isabella](/source/Infanta_Isabella_Clara_Eugenia_of_Spain) of Austria, Governors-General of the Spanish Netherlands.

Archbishop Hovius died on 30 May 1620 during a [canonical visitation](/source/Canonical_visitation) to [Affligem Abbey](/source/Affligem_Abbey).

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Harline_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Harline_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Harline_1-2) [Harline, Craig and Put, E., *A bishop's tale: Mathias Hovius among his flock in seventeenth-century Flanders*](https://books.google.com/books?id=FWWCR1WKctwC&dq=Affligem+Abbey&pg=PA56), [Yale University Press](/source/Yale_University_Press), 2000 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-300-08342-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-300-08342-4)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kooi_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kooi_2-1) [Kooi, Christine. *Reformation in the Low Countries, 1500-1620*, Cambridge University Press, Jun 9, 2022, p. 147](https://books.google.com/books?id=HBlyEAAAQBAJ&dq=Mathias+Hovius&pg=PA147) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781009075404](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781009075404)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Berkeley, Joanne \[name in religion Joanna\] (1555/6–1616), abbess of the Convent of the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady, Brussels"](https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-105817). *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography#Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)* (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/ref:odnb/105817](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F105817). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780198614111](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780198614111). Retrieved 12 February 2021. (Subscription, [Wikipedia Library](https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/partners/88/) access or [UK public library membership](https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public) required.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Boni, Armand (1953). *Scherpenheuvel: Basiliek en gemeente in het kader van de vaderlandse geschiedenis*. Standaard

- Laenen, Kan. Dr. J. (1930), *Geschiedenis van het Mechelsch Seminarie vanaf het Episcopaat van Aartsbisschop Matthias Hovius tot onder Z.E. Kardinaal van Roey*, Mechelen, Gebr. Laurent, 393 pp.

- [Harline, C. E.](/source/Craig_Harline) & Put, E. (2000), *A bishop's tale: Mathias Hovius among his flock in seventeenth-century Flanders*, [Yale University Press](/source/Yale_University_Press), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-300-08342-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-300-08342-4) (Cloth); [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-300-13054-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-300-13054-6) (Electronic), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-300-08342-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-300-08342-2) (Cloth); [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-300-13054-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-300-13054-6) (Electronic)

Catholic Church titles Preceded by Joannes Hauchin 3rd Archbishop of Mechelen 1596–1620 Succeeded by Jacobus Boonen

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [Catholicism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Catholicism)
- [Belgium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Belgium)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Italy Spain Netherlands Israel Belgium People Netherlands Trove Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mathias Hovius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Hovius) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Hovius?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.