BERNWARD, saint. - Bishop of Hildesheim (c. 960–1022). Descended from a noble Saxon family, he was received by his uncle Folkmar, later bishop of Utrecht, into the cathedral school of Hildesheim. Still young, having passed from the family circle of Count Palatine Atelbero to the imperial court, the Empress Teofano entrusted him with the education of her son, Ottone III, over whom B. exercised a decisive influence.
When the bishop of Hildesheim, Gerdag, died toward the end of 992, B. was elected to succeed him. From then on he devoted himself to the welfare and advancement of his diocese. A promoter of cultural development, he spread it among his subjects also by means of libraries. Founder of numerous monasteries, legend represents him as personally cooperating, even with manual labor, in their construction and as an artist himself, as well as an enthusiastic director of artistic works. He died after having assumed the Benedictine habit, on 20 Nov. 1022. Celestino III canonized him on 20 Dec. 1192. Benedetto XIV entered him in the Martirologio romano in 1748, under 26 Oct.