Berno, Bl.
BERNO, BL.
First abbot of cluny; b. Burgundy, c. 850; d. Jan. 13, 927. He entered the benedictines at St. Martin of Autun. Later he was sent to reform the Abbey of Baume-Les-Messieurs. About 890 he founded Gigny and remained its superior. On Sept. 2, 909, the duke of Aquitaine, William the Pious, officially handed over to him the territory of Cluny, where he established a new monastery dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul. It was placed under the immediate authority of the Holy See (see cluniac reform). Several houses were placed under Berno's care, notably Déols and souvigny. Before his death, he had provided for the election of (St.) odo of cluny as his successor.
Feast: Jan. 13.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum 2:106–112. j. mabillon, Acta sanctorum ordinis S. Benedicti, 9 v. (Paris 1668–1701; 2d ed. Venice 1733–40) 7:66–88. m. marrier and a. duchesne, eds., Bibliotheca cluniacensis (Paris 1614 repr. Mâcon 1915) 1–12 (Patrologia Latina, 133:843–858). a. bruel, ed., Recueil des chartes de l'abbaye de Cluny, 6 v. (Paris 1876–1903) 1:124–129. e. sackur, Die Cluniacenser, 2 v. (Halle 1892–94) 1:36–69. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4 v. (New York 1956) 1:75. r. aigrain, Catholicisme 1:1493–94.
[r. grÉgoire]