St. Hilary of Poitiers 315 A.D. - 367 A.D.
Sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" or the "Athanasius of the West," Hilary was born in Poitiers either at the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th century. During his life, Hilary played an influential role in the great controversy between Athanasius, who taught that the Son is fully God, equally with the Father, and Arius, who denied this. When he refused to sign the condemnation of Athanasius, the Arian emperor Constantius II (a son of Emperor Constantine) banished him to Phrygia in 357 A.D. His exile lasted three years, during which time he wrote several important theological essays: De synodis; On the Trinity; and In Constantium. On his return to Gaul (France) in 361 A.D., he took a leisurely route through Greece and Italy, preaching against the Arians as he went. With the death of Constantius II in 361 A.D., the persecution of the orthodox Christians ended too. Sadly, Hilary died in 367 or 368 A.D. and was proclaimed a "Doctor" of the Church in 1851.
The Collect:
O Lord our God, who raised up your servant Hilary to be a champion of the catholic faith: Keep us steadfast in that true faith which we professed at our baptism, that we may rejoice in having you for our Father, and may abide in your Son, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.