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Bernard, Saint, Bishop of Hildesheim

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in Lower Saxony, where he was born between 950 and 953, was nephew of Adalberon, palatine count. He was first sent to Osdag, bishop of Hildesheim, to be educated, who made him exorcist of his church; and subsequently Willigis, archbishop of Mentz, ordained him priest. He also studied under Tangmar, canon and primicerius of Hildesheim, to whom was confided the direction of the school dependent upon this chapter. He made rapid progress not only in sacred literature, but in painting, sculpture, architecture, silver-working, mosaic work, the setting of diamonds, and the copying of MSS. After his ordination he was charged with the instruction of the emperor Othon III, who was then seven years of age. At the death of Theophane, the empress mother and regent, he exercised his functions without control, and took part largely in the affairs of the government. Being appointed bishop of Hildesheim in 993, he occupied himself especially in embellishing the cathedral. He accompanied the emperor Otho to Italy, relented towards the Tuscans and Romans, and improved his taste for art by viewing the monuments of Rome. On his return he sought more than once to decorate the church at Hildesheim with all the elegancies of art. He had a long dispute with archbishop Willigis concerning the territories of the Abbey of Gandesheim, which gave occasion for the assembling the councils of Yodi, Rome, and Frankfort, in the years 1001 and 1002. In 1021 he took the vows in the Abbey of St. Michael. He died Nov. 20, 1023, and was canonized in 1093. See Hoefer, Nouv, Biog. Generale, a.v.