Bruno of Cologne

Saint Bruno of Cologne was born around 1030 in Cologne, Germany. After studying theology at Reims, he was ordained a priest and became a canon, then was recalled to Reims to lead its renowned episcopal school. For nearly two decades he formed clergy and bishops with wisdom and holiness, among them Eudes of Châtillon, later Pope Urban II. As chancellor of the diocese, Bruno helped defend the Church against corruption and violence, yet when the prospect of becoming a bishop arose, he chose instead the hidden way of prayer. Seeking a life wholly given to God, Bruno withdrew with companions to the solitude of the Chartreuse mountains near Grenoble in 1084, founding the first Carthusian community. Summoned to Rome as an advisor to Urban II, he again resisted honors and returned to eremitical life, establishing a second foundation in Calabria, where he died on October 6, 1101, at Serra San Bruno. He is venerated as founder of the Carthusians and patron of Carthusian monasteries and Serra San Bruno. His feast day is October 6.