Benno

Saint Benno was born around 1010 in Hildesheim, in Saxony, and is remembered as a faithful shepherd of the Church amid the storms of his age. Likely formed in the life of the Church from an early period, he became a canon at Goslar and in 1066 was appointed Bishop of Meissen by King Henry IV. Benno’s episcopate unfolded during the bitter struggles of the Investiture Controversy, when questions of authority and reform shook both empire and Church. Exiled in 1075 and later caught between rival claimants and competing loyalties, he endured deposition and excommunication before being restored to his see. In time he again aligned himself with the papal cause, recognizing Pope Urban II. Though many details of his later years are uncertain, Benno was long venerated for strengthening his diocese through ecclesial reform and practical development. Canonized in 1523, he became a cherished patron of Bavaria and Munich, also honored by anglers and weavers. His feast day is June 16.