ST. HUGH OF GRENOBLE

St. Hugh of Grenoble

He was born in the year 1053 in a place called Chateauneuf-d’Isere near Valence in the Dauphin, France. His father Odilo was a military man. Hugh was educated well by his father at Valence and other foreign schools. He was very brilliant at the young age and was appointed Canon at the Cathedral of valence, when he was still a layman. His brilliance, modesty, courtesy and kindness have impressed the Bishop Hug of Die that he took him into his household. Due to his ability as a negotiator he was invited to attend the Synod at Lyon with the Bishop Hug of Die. He was elected Bishop of Grenoble at the Council of Avignon in the year 1080, when he was only 27 years old and he was not yet ordained at that time. He was ordained by pope Gregory-VII himself. He gave the land of Chartreuse to St. Bruno for building a Carthusian monastery. When there was a famine he sold some of the precious things in the church treasury to save lives from hungry and death. Following the example of the bishop Hugh, other nobles in the place also did much help to the suffering people. He died on April 1, 1132.

He was canonized by pope Innocent-Ii on April 22, 1134, only two years after his death.