Hugh was born in Fosses-la-Ville toward the end of the eleventh century. He
became a cleric of the collegiate chapter of his hometown and later a court
chaplain of Burchard, bishop of Cambray. Hugh met St. Norbert in Valenciennes
on March 26, 1119 and was so taken with his apostolic way of life that he decided
to join him and became his first disciple. When Norbert was taken under the
wing of the bishop of Laon after the Council of Rheims in 1119 at the request
of Pope Callistus II, Hugh joined Bishop Burchard at Cambray again. Two years
later in 1121, after the founding of Prémontré, Hugh returned
to Norbert’s side and was named the first prior of the young community
and became the “right hand” of Norbert. After Norbert was appointed
archbishop of Magdeburg in 1126, the confreres elected Hugh, at Norbert’s
suggestion, to be the first abbot of Prémontré. He built the abbey
church and the monastery. In order to preserve unity among the numerous foundations
of Norbert he called the superiors of the various houses to a meeting out of
which the General Chapter developed. He also compiled the first book of ceremonies
with the liturgical directives of the Order and it is likely that he authored
the ancient account of the life of St. Norbert known today as “Vita Norberti
B”. Thanks to Hugh an organizational structure was created which made
it possible for the Order to last for centuries and he is honored as the first
abbot general of the Order. He played an essential role in the inner strengthening
and rapid flourishing of the Order. Under his guidance the number of the monasteries
grew to one-hundred-twenty.
As a superior Hugh was mild and humble of heart but also very persistent. For
thirty-eight years he was the father of his community and the guarantor of the
unity of the Order. Hugh died on February 10, 1164 and was buried in the abbey
church in front of the altar of St. Andrew. Under Abbot General Egidius Biervliet
his remains were transferred to the front of the main altar in the abbey church
in 1279. Abbot General Lescellier greatly embellished the tomb of Blessed Hugh
in 1660.
After the suppression of Prémontré during the French Revolution
his relics were transferred to Bassoles, then during WWI (from 1914 to 1918)
they were kept in the cathedral of Laon, and from there taken to the sacristy
of the church of Brancourt. Because Brancourt was heavily damaged in the bombardments,
the bishop of Soissons asked Prior Franken of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac to take the
relics into his care. In 1922 Blessed Hugh’s remains were solemnly transferred
to Bois-Seigneur-Isaac where they rest to this day. Pope Pius XI confirmed the
cult of Blessed Hugh on July 13, 1927.