MEYER (Lat. Villicus), ADAM. - Benedictine abbot and monastic reformer, b. at St. Wendel at the beginning of the 15th century, d. at S. Martino in Cologne on 17 Feb. 1499. He entered the Benedictine abbey of S. Mattia at Trier about 1430. Called to S. Martino in Cologne about 1448 for reform, he became its abbot on 29 Sept. 1454. M. restored discipline in all the nearby monasteries and was the leading figure of the Chapter of the monastic province of Cologne-Trier, of which he was visitor on 27 Apr. 1458.
He worked vigorously to extend the reform of the Congregation of Bursfeld, which he introduced at S. Martino in Cologne (1455), in the female monasteries of Zwartewater (1469), of S. Agata in Cologne, then at Liesborn (1464), Grafschaft (1482), and Egmond in Holland (1490-91). From S. Martino in Cologne reforming monks and abbots went to Siloe, S. Paolo of Utrecht, Johannisberg, and Laach.