April 1 St. Hugh of Grenoble

Patron Saint of Headaches

St. Hugh was born in 1025 to a soldier and a church going mom. One of the original church ladies. He was an exceptional student and was ordained at age 25. He was sent to Grenoble, France to settle peace amongst the priests and towns people. Convinced that he had not improved the lives or the holiness of his priests. he resigned and became a monk. After a year, Pope Gregory ordered him back to Grenoble. This time his efforts were met with success. The clergy were infused with a new zeal for caring for the poor and preaching the Word. He oversaw the building of a large abbey  and the start of a cathedral. A sufferer of headaches later in life. I am not sure if he is patron saint of headaches for his physical affliction or for the trials of his first attempt at reforming priests.

March 19 Blessed Clement of Dunblane

Blesssed Clement was a Scotsman by birth who met St. Dominic while they were both studying in Paris. One of the first Dominicans, Clement’s energy  and zeal led him back to Scotland at the request of  the king, Alexander II. He made friends with war leaders and farmers alike. His small band of Dominicans were granted permission to use Robert Bruce’s private mill, but also stayed with village and farm folks during his unceasing travels throughout Scotland. He raised money to build monasteries, rebuild churches and cathedrals, served on papal commissions, moved the Bishops seat from often unreachable Isle of Iona to Dunblane,  and wrote three books. He received perhaps the highest praise for a Dominican from a Protestant historian of the time – “This man was an excellent preacher, learned above many of that time, and of singular integrity of conversation”.

His relics are reported to be in the choir of the Dunblane Cathedral. They can be found along the south wall, below the Great South Windows.  One of which is called the Chaos Window, showing fire, storms, cold and snow – at the bottom of which the five members of Scott’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole in 1912 are named. If you are interested in church architecture, stained glass windows or art, take a minute to check out the Cathedral’s website.