He was born to a noble family near Amiens, France. As a Benedictine monk, he went to Denmark and Sweden as a missionary. He was nominated abbot of New Corbie, the first Archbishop of Hamburg, and the Pope’s delegate for the Scandinavian missions. As the ‘Apostle of the North’, his success was due to his great preaching ability, personal austerity, holiness and miracles. He was greatly devoted to the poor and the sick.