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 Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

, 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 particu ...

. 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