Friday 14th November is in Berkshire the Memorial of Blessed Hugh Faringdon, John Eynon and John Rugge, the Reading Martyrs. Bl. Hugh was the last abbot of Reading Abbey. Born Hugh Cook, and probably from Faringdon, he was born about 1485 and joined the abbey sometime around 1500. He was elected abbot in 1520. From 1526, he served as Justice of the Peace for Berkshire. His relations with Henry VIII in the early years were good. The King stayed at the monastery in January 1521, and later Abbot Hugh became one of the royal chaplains. When the king was hunting in the neighbourhood, the abbot would take the opportunity of sending him presents of Kennet trout or hunting knives. During the divorce controversy, the abbot at first seemed to take the King’s side and sent him books to support his case. In 1530, he signed along with others a Letter to the Pope to persuade him to support the divorce and in 1536 he signed the Articles of Faith. However, when the commissioners arrived to undertake the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, he declined to surrender the abbey and so was accused of high treason. He was tracked down at Bere Court, his manor house at Pangbourne, and taken to the Tower of London. Two months later, along with Fr. John Eynon, the priest of St. Giles, and Fr. John Rugge, a fellow monk charged with concealing one of the Abbey's celebrated relics, he was sentenced to death by being hanged, drawn and quartered. On Friday, please pray for the parish of St. James in Reading built next to the Abbey ruins, and also for the staff and students of Blessed Hugh Faringdon school in Reading. [Image: Reading Museum][Portsmouth Diocese e-News]