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

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

. Born in the village of Landecob, Brittany near

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

, Aimo entered the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery of Savigny, in Savigny,

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. Suspected of having

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

, 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 deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

. 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