Friends grieve for murdered priest

LARGE numbers of friends and former pupils have contacted St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate, to express their grief and horror at the murder of Fr Edward Hull, which occurred last Friday.
Fr Hull, and his housekeeper Miss Maude Wean. were brutally clubbed by an attacker at the presbytery to St Ethelbert's church. Ramsgate. Er Hull, who was 88, was beaten to death, and Miss Lelean (72) died in hospital on Monday as a result of her injuries.
Dom Paul Edward Hull joined the Benedictine conimunity at St Augstine's Abbey in 1914. He was trained for the priesthood in Louvain. and shortly after his ordination became involved in teaching. In the earlier years of his monastic life he held the offices of Bursar arid Prior, and during World War II he was a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force, serving in So6th Africa and Iraq.
After the war he returned to teaching, being for some years Headmaster of the Abbey's preparatory -school. lie was engaged in parish work at Margate, and at St Ethelberes at various periods from the early 1950s until his retirement seven years ago, Dom Gilbert Jones. Abbot of Ramsgate, said this week: "Everyone was very fond of him. Although he was retired he maintained a lively interest in the parish, and the parish priest, Er Patrick Whelan. was undoubtedly helped by his being there." • Abbot Jones said Fr Hull had been respected in teaching as a disciplinarian. but "his bark was worse than his bite." rvlany former pupils, said the Abbot, had telephoned to express their sorrow at his death.
Miss Maude Lelean had been with the community for some 30 years, having acted as senior matron in the Abbey school, and as housekeeper to Fr Hull for some years. The Abbot described her as "a very loyal and valuable friend".
There is a Requiem Mass for the victims today at 11.30.