THIEMO, BL.

Benedictine abbot of the monastery of sankt peter, Salzburg, and later archbishop of Salzburg; b. Megling (birth date unknown); d. Ascalon, Sept. 28, 1102. Although of a family of Bavarian counts from Megling, Thiemo (Theodmarus) became a monk at nieder altaich, where he achieved considerable success in sculpturing, painting, and brass work. As abbot of Sankt Peter, he gained renown for his zeal in promoting material and spiritual improvements, according to Cluniac norms at admont. Elected archbishop of Salzburg by members of the cathedral chapter loyal to Urban II, he took part in the synod of Piacenza (1095), the resolutions of which he carried out rigidly. Hard pressed by the rivalimperial bishop Berthold of Moosburg, and defeated in battle at Saaldorf c. 1096, he fled to Carinthia, but was captured; when liberated after five years' imprisonment he entered a Swabian monastery. In 1101 he joined the Bavarian Duke Welf in a crusade to the Holy Land. After the defeat at Heraklea he fell into the hands of the Seljuk Turks and suffered an excruciating death at Ascalon. Thiemo was never canonized, though he is venerated as blessed since the 12th century. In 1884 his cult was approved for Admont and other Benedictine monasteries.

Feast: Sept. 28.

Bibliography: c. greinz, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. m. buchberger, 10 v. (Freiburg 1930–38) 10:105. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige 3:84. p. karner, Die Heiligen und Seligen Salzburgs (Austria Sancta 12; Vienna 1913) 2:1135.

[m. j. stallings]