O GOD, the light of the faithful and shepherd of souls, who didst call thy servant Hugh to feed thy sheep by his word, and guide them by his example: Grant us, we pray thee, to keep the faith which he taught, and to follow in his footsteps; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hugh of Lincoln was born in Burgundy and educated in a convent at Villard-Benoît, He was ordained deacon at 19 and subsequently made prior of a smallholding at Saint-Maximin. He became a Carthusian in 1160 after visiting the Grand Chartreuse. Known for his holiness, he was asked by King Henry II to become abbot of the first Carthusian monastery in England. He bravely reproached Henry for keeping sees vacant to enrich royal coffers and as a result, in 1186, Hugh was elected to the see of Lincoln, vacant for some time.
Hugh is said to have had considerable concern for lepers, tending them with his own hands and often sharing a meal from the same dish. He also condemned the persecution of the Jews which spread throughout England.
He died in 1200 after undertaking a diplomatic mission to France for King John, and his funeral was attended by the primate of all England, 14 bishops, 100 abbots, King William the Lion of Scotland, and King John of England.
Twenty years after his death he was canonized by Pope Honorius III. He was the first Carthusian saint.
