Aimo (commonly known as Saint Aimo, also Aymon or Hamon) was a mystic and

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

. Born in the village of Landecob, Brittany near Rennes, Aimo entered the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery of Savigny, in Savigny,

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. Suspected of having

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

, he was ejected from the house lest the sickness spread. Aimo went to stay in a nearby woods with two other monks who did have the disease. There he took care of them.Merton, Thomas. ''In the Valley of Wormwood: Cistercian Blessed and Saints of the Golden Age'', Liturgical Press, 2013, p. 153
When it was seen that he did not have leprosy, Aimo was allowed to become a professed monk and was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

. He became known as an effective confessor and spiritual director. He was entrusted with supervising the lay brothers, who were as much servants as monks, many with little religious sensibility; but he loved them and many learned spirituality from him."Saint Aymon", Nominis
/ref> His devotion to the saints led to the building of a number of churches and chapels in Normandy in their honor. Aimo is mainly remembered for charitable kindness especially to the sick and for his mystical experiences.

References

{{Authority control French Roman Catholic saints 12th-century Christian saints 12th-century Christian mystics 1173 deaths Benedictine mystics Year of birth unknown