In and out of enclosure

The Frenchman St Hugh of Lincoln (1135-1200, today’s saint) was an influential figure in his day, an adviser to monarchs.  I confess a particular attachment to him because he is the patron of Nottingham Diocese - in which I have been based for the past thirty-three years.  I can’t come up with a connection to Carmel – he died before the Carmelites arrived here in flight from the Holy Land, but he was a Carthusian, and as a Carmelite I always feel a kinship with that Order; their disciplines are truly scary but they are contemplatives like us.  I am told that they derive great spiritual nourishment from our Carmelite saints.  Like Teresa herself, Hugh spent much of his life out of the enclosure to which he was in principle committed because he was called away by the King of England first of all to found a Charterhouse at Witham in Somerset and then to serve as Bishop of Lincoln, (a place which is nowadays within the Catholic Diocese of Nottingham).   Like Teresa, he had an early experience of being educated by Augustinians.  St Hugh of Lincoln, pray for us!

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon B, Catherine

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Lucia – Overwhelmed by weariness

Mark – brain infection

Joy Smith – in hospital

Richard P – in hospital

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

RIP Martin Gilham, Sue Burton, little Matthew (six years old, died of cancer), Joy Smith