Bernard (or Bern-hart) Saint

Bernard (Or Bern-Hart) Saint bishop OF VIENNE, in Dauphin, was born in 778, of a noble family in the Lyonnais. When he was eighteen years of age, his parents sent him to the court of Charlemagne, and, against his own inclinations, married him. When he was twenty-five years old he obtained his wife's consent to leave her, and enter the monastery which he had founded at Ambournay, in Bresse. He was elected to the office of abbot, but he had not held it more than three years when Wolfhart, bishop of Vienne, died, and the electors, listening to the voice of a child of twelve years old, who cried loudly in the assembly that God had chosen Bernard for bishop, declared that their choice had fallen upon him. He, however, refused, until a positive command from pope Leo II compelled him to accept. He acted with those who had taken upon themselves to depose Louis-le-Debonnaire, and upon his restoration Bernard was compelled to flee into Italy, with Agobardus of Lyons, but was subsequently enabled to return to his see, where he endeavored to expiate his fault. He founded the monastery of Romans, and died in 842. His festival is marked on the 23d of January, which was the day of his funeral, and is believed to have been the day after that of his death. See Baillet, Jan. 23.