Today, were it not the glorious Palm aka Passion Sunday, would be the feast of St. Hugh of Grenoble. If you know a person who refuses to watch the evening news because of all the depressing stories of distress, you know someone like St. Hugh of Grenoble. He "disliked the duty of listening to official reports [he was a bishop] and closed his ears to the news of the day." - Butler's Lives.
Hugh was a young, good-looking and painfully shy layman, but in honor of his great education and holy life, he was awarded a canonry in Valence, kind of like receiving a priest's or bishop's residence and salary without being a clergyman. Well, even though he fought against it, he was raised to the priesthood (and then the episcopacy) through popular acclaim. Vox populi vox Dei, as they say. And what a thankless task taking the helm of the diocese of Grenoble was, too. The see was bankrupt, some of the priests notorious sexual sinners, and the people were shockingly uneducated due to the worst crisis in catechism in years! Hugh the Bashful was undaunted, however. He was vigorous in preaching, unafraid in his rebuke of errant nobles and clergy, unrelenting in prayer and fasting. He was criticized for selling even his gold chalice, rings and precious stones from the church treasury in time of famine to feed the poor. His actions shamed the rich into joining him, however. Overall, he had great success in reforming his diocese, though he was hard on himself and saw only his failures.
He befriended St. Bruno and even gave him the land and property of the Chartreuse, which led to him and his order being called "Carthusians." Hugh loved to go join them in their desert retreat and had to be remonstrated by none other than St. Bruno himself, the founder, to go back to his episcopal duties!
He died on this date 875 years ago in the odor of sanctity, as they say, and was canonized just 2 years later.
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