ON ST. HUGH, CONFESSOR, KNIGHT OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM, AT GENOA IN LIGURIA,
About the year MCCXXX.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
Of the Saint's cult and Acts.
Hugh, confessor, knight of Jerusalem, at Genoa in Liguria. (S.)
BY J. B.
Ferrarius, from the Martyrologies, inscribed St. Hugh in his General Catalogue of the Saints at the 8th day of October in these words: The Saint's cult "At Genoa, of St. Ugo, knight of Jerusalem": then in the Annotations he adds: "His body is preserved in the church of St. John of the knighthood of Jerusalem. He lived before the year MCCXXXIII, as is found from his manuscript Life, in which, however, the time at which he lived is not expressed." Chastelain, indeed, announces almost the same things as Ferrarius concerning Hugh, but adds that he was a priest. Of the sacred cult customarily shown to him at Genoa we are made certain by the Calendar prefixed to the proper Offices of the church of Genoa, revised by order of Lord Stephen Cardinal Muratius and published again in the year 1640, in which the feast of St. Hugh, confessor, is noted at this day as to be celebrated with double rite. There are subjoined to the proper Offices the Lessons of the Martyrology concerning the Saints of Genoa, which at the praised day have this of St. Hugh: "At Genoa, the deposition of St. Ugo, confessor, of the Order of the knights of Jerusalem, who at the church of St. John exercised the pious office of hospitality toward the poor: of whom that celebrated thing is related, that like another Moses he drew forth water from a rock by the sign of the Cross: which, flowing perennially even today under the name of St. Ugo, retains the power of driving away infirmities." Bosio writes similar things of St. Hugh in part 1, book 9, page 187 of the History of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, printed at Rome in the year 1594, where he also adds that the Life of St. Hugh was written by Otto, archbishop of Genoa, by order of Gregory IX, and then also by Lorenzo Feo, a nursling of the Order of St. Dominic.
[2] Of Lorenzo Feo, Échard writes in volume 1 of the Writers of the Order of Preachers, page 866: and Acts. "He is said to have written" (namely in Italian) "the Life of St. Hugh of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, commander of the commandery of Genoa, very renowned for holiness throughout Italy." That Otto, indeed, held the see of Genoa from the year 1203 to the year 1239, Ughelli writes in volume IV of the enlarged Italia Sacra, columns 882 and 885. That he had Alessandria of the Statielli as his native place he writes both in the series of the archbishops of Genoa and in that of the bishops of Bobbio, column 934, where in the margin it is added from Ghilini in the Annals of Alessandria, page 14, that Otto was of the Ghilini family: Bosio, however, writes below in the Historical Synopsis, number 6, that he was by surname Fiesco. Neither the writings of Feo nor those of Otto, archbishop of Genoa, concerning St. Hugh are in our possession. We have, however, a little Italian book, whose title is: Images of the blessed and saints of the sacred Religion of St. John of Jerusalem, written by Bosio, first printed at Rome, and reprinted with other type, by the care of Francesco Truglio, at Palermo in the year 1633. In it St. Hugh has a title of his own, and it contains a compendium of those things which Otto, archbishop of Genoa, committed to writing a little after Hugh's death and a diligent inquiry into St. Hugh's holiness and prodigies by order of Gregory IX, supreme Pontiff. There is prefixed to St. Hugh's title an image, in which he is shown clothed in the ancient habit of the chaplains, as they call them, of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and wearing on his mantle the eight-pointed cross, such as Raymond du Puy, the first master of the Order, is said by Bosio in the History of the same Order, Rome, in the year 1594, part 1, book 1, page 13, to have prescribed for the knights of Jerusalem in the twelfth century. His head is surrounded with rays. The image moreover displays two prodigies of St. Hugh; the one, by which he drew forth a spring from a rock; the other, by which he freed a ship from the danger of shipwreck. Whence these were taken, and how ancient they were according to Bosio, see below at the end of the Historical Synopsis, which we have made Latin from the Italian tongue. This, moreover, our engraver has imitated thus.
HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS
From the Italian of Bosio, in Truglio.
Hugh, confessor, knight of Jerusalem, at Genoa in Liguria. (S.)
From the Italian of Bosio.
Of St. Hugh, commander of Genoa, At the time when many of the knights and religious of the sacred Religion and most illustrious knighthood of St. John of Jerusalem a, fighting bravely in the East against the infidels, were being crowned eternally in heaven with purple crowns in testimony and reward of the blood which they were shedding intrepidly and copiously for the glory of Christ and the defence of the holy faith, there were not lacking among them in the West also those who, contending with spiritual arms against our invisible and ancient enemies, having happily completed the laborious course of pilgrimage and of human life, returning as victors to the heavenly fatherland, were adorned in heaven with white crowns in reward of their chastity and holiness. Among whom, both for a holy life worthy of imitation and for a multitude of prodigies, there became greatly renowned throughout Italy a knight b of the same Order called Hugh, who, appointed by his Religion to the commandery of Genoa c, acted as so faithful, diligent and good an administrator that he did not bury in the ground the talents he had received; but with them
he dealt carefully for the good both of the soul and of the body, and rendered so full an account to his Religion, to his neighbour, and above all to God, that the infinite goodness and mercy did not hold it enough to reward him with an eternal prize and, when he had died most holily, to enrol him in the number of His Saints; but willed also, while he was still living on earth, to make him illustrious with the prerogative of many notable and stupendous prodigies; and most of all by rendering him to the world almost as admirable as the Prophet Moses, so familiar to and accepted by the divine Majesty.
[2] Since, just as when he struck the rock with his rod Otto, archbishop of Genoa, wrote a Life there came forth waters by which the thirst of the people of Israel was quenched; so this glorious Saint by the sign of the cross drew forth from a dry and hard rock waters, such as gush forth even today, most living and clear, not only pleasant and delightful to the taste, but also healthful for many diseases. So testifies Otto Fiesco d, archbishop of Genoa, in the Life of the same Saint, which he wrote by order of Pope Gregory IX e, then governing the Church, making mention both of this prodigy and of not a few others done by the same St. Hugh, whether living or dead. The compendium of the Life, turned from Latin into our tongue (Italian), is of this kind: St. Hugh was small and lean of body. He wore garments of skins, covered his bare flesh with haircloth, and lay upon a plank in the lowest part of the hospice, toward the sea. He was occupied with exercises of this kind, serving the needy with the greatest charity, supplying necessaries, and from time to time also, with the greatest lowliness of mind, washing their feet. He buried the dead. He was a brother f of the hospice of St. John of Jerusalem, and governed that of Genoa, wearing outwardly on his breast the cross which he had engraved inwardly on his heart: he bound his flesh with an iron girdle. Throughout the course of the whole year he used Lenten foods; and, to keep his body harder, in Lent he took nothing cooked. When he recited the Office, he showed great fervour, and when he was present at the holy sacrifice, he was often seen raised from the ground: so that, while he was still among the living, he was held in honour by all, and was universally held for a Saint. Among the other proofs and indications of his holiness and upright life, some write chiefly the following.
[3] and miracles, When once certain poor women were washing the cloths of the sick of the hospice, and were much wearied by the scarcity of water and the great heat which there then was, and the holy Man happened then to be in that place, they entreated him to obtain water from God by his prayers, so that they should not be compelled to fetch it from so far off and with such great inconvenience and labour. And behold — O incredible and stupendous merit of a most holy Man! — just as Moses by prayer and rod drew water from the rock, so Hugh by prayer and the sign of the cross drew from the stone a spring so abundant that it not only sufficed for drinking and washing, but also endures even today, called St. Hugh's. Another thing seems to me to need adding in this place, by which the wonderful and notable holiness of the Servant of God may become known more clearly. A certain ship was being tossed at sea not far from the mouth of the harbour by such force of storm that all thought for certain that it would be driven onto the land and dashed against the rocks, because it was in a place in which the art of the pilots and their customary help were of no avail. But behold, Hugh, happening to look out at the sea from the tower of the hospice, and seeing the ship very near to shipwreck, moved with the greatest compassion, came down swiftly from the tower, and amid many tears and sobs ran forward into the sea up to his knees, and with his eyes raised to heaven made the sign of the cross toward the ship. And suddenly the violence of the winds and waves was checked, and the sea having been calmed, the ship was brought safe and without harm into the harbour. When the sailors, who were thinking themselves already lost, had seen this, coming out of the ship forthwith, they went on to St. John's to render infinite thanks to God that they had come out of so great a danger by the prayer and merits of that most holy Man.
[4] from which briefly Nor is that to be passed over in silence which Nicholas Pigliacaro writes of that truly holy Man, who testifies that he experienced his holiness four times, saying that, having once been invited to a meal by Blessed Hugh, when he had come to his house, moved by great devotion toward him, and the table was already prepared, he went off to draw water from the spring; and that St. Hugh, when both were already reclining at table and he himself wished to drink, imparted the sign of the cross to the water, and that he drank instead of water, as he thought, a most exquisite wine. Whence Nicholas was astounded beyond measure, understanding that the water brought by his own hands from the spring had been turned into wine. At which, however, there ought not to be too much wonder, since the Lord said: "He that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do." The same Nicholas related at another time, and swore in formal words, that a certain lady possessed by a demon, when after St. Hugh's death she had come to his tomb and had stayed there until the hour of Compline, at sunset vomited up a most black toad, which spread a stench troublesome and pestilent beyond measure, which those who were present, smelling it, thought had been an illusion of the devil. But then experience taught that this had happened by the merits and prayers of the Saint: for thenceforth the lady, that horrible and stinking toad and its stench gradually vanishing, remained free.
[5] Another man had the sinews of his legs and feet so contracted some things that he could in no way walk; he, having made a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Hugh, on the fifth night found himself free and sound: wherefore he consecrated the remaining course of his life by vow to the service of the hospice. Another lady, whose name was Orta, while St. Hugh was still among the living, was seized with apoplexy and so afflicted that, made immovable, she was not able to get herself out of bed. She had herself carried to the tomb of St. Hugh after his death, and soon obtained health, although for six continuous years she had been fixed to her bed as if immovable. Whence, in testimony of her grateful mind and her devotion, she afterwards put on the habit of St. John, and wished to be received into the number of the nuns dwelling in the hospice, and there spent the rest of her life in the service of the sick with the greatest love and charity. She, as also another lady, by name Mary, was an eyewitness both of this and of many other prodigies of St. Hugh. The same things are also asserted by two canons of the cathedral church of Genoa, among whom the Reverend lord William della Bama, and others together with him wished to be enrolled in the number of the brothers of that hospice. Besides this, Hugh di Sabezana, one of the brothers, and Joanna, the wife of the barber of the same hospice, testify that they saw and observed birds flying round the head of St. Hugh when he was pouring out prayers to God, as if in testimony of the holiness of the aforesaid Man.
[6] What we have said of St. Hugh thus far was found and approved by the diligent inquiry and most truthful investigation of Otto Fiesco, are related. The cult of St. Hugh, archbishop of Genoa. For among many others, two canons also, who had been accustomed to frequent the Saint's house and had been present at almost all his prodigies, affirmed on oath before the aforesaid archbishop that all the aforesaid things were most true. And besides they asserted individually that a certain energumen was freed by the mere presence of St. Hugh. For as soon as he came to him, he began to cry out with a loud voice: "Do not torment me further, Hugh, for I am ready to go far away from here"; and immediately the energumen was freed. These things concerning the holiness and prodigies of St. Hugh were briefly collected by the work of the aforesaid archbishop and by order of the supreme Pontiff in the year of our Salvation MCCXXXIII. Hugh died on the 8th of October g, and his body was buried very reverently in the church of St. John at Genoa, and is preserved there with great veneration. His feast is celebrated every year with great solemnity on the mentioned day on which he passed to the Lord. His head is carried round in procession through the parish of St. John with a great number accompanying it, but most of all of the confraternity members, who out of devotion have given themselves over to divine service under the Saint's patronage, and who have a solemn Mass celebrated at his altar on the aforesaid day, on which the Office of the same Saint is recited throughout the whole diocese of Genoa, as in the Common of a confessor not a Pontiff, and the following prayer is said: "O God, who didst grant to Thy servant Ugo, in Thy name, by the sign of the cross, to make a spring of living water gush from the hardest rock, to put demons to flight, and to cure the sick; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may feel the effect of him whose cult we perform. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, etc."
[7] and image. A true image of the same Saint was sent to me as a gift from Malta many years ago by the most eminent and most reverend Cardinal brother Hugh de Loubenx Verdala, grand master of that sacred Religion and most illustrious knighthood of St. John of Jerusalem, although it was most dear to him and was kept by him with great devotion in his bedchamber; inasmuch as it was both ancient and drawn, as is believed without doubt, from the natural and living likeness of the Saint, his namesake and a nursling of his Religion: yet he preferred to go without these spiritual delights and devout consolation in order to send it to me, to be cut in copper and published in the History of his Religion, as I in fact did in its first part, recently enlarged and illustrated by me. It is similar to the image, or rather the same as that, which may be seen above. Let him therefore pour out prayers for us and for all the faithful, that we may be found worthy to see him in heaven, and there with him and all the Saints praise eternally our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns through infinite ages of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS.
holiness and prodigies an inquiry was made in the year 1233 by the archbishop of Genoa, I have tied his death to about the year 1230, following Chastelain in the Universal Martyrology.