Corbinian
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Saint Corbinian (670 - September 8, 730) was a Frankish bishop. His feast day, formerly September 8, has been translated to November 20 (CE).
Corbinian was born at Châtres, near Melun, in Frankish territory, where he lived as a hermit for 14 years, where a church dedicated to Saint Germain was erected, before journeying to Rome, accompanied by some of the disciples who had gathered round him. On a second visit to Rome he was ordained by Pope Gregory II. On his return homewards, however, preaching as he went, he came to Merano in the Tyrol, where he was induced by messengers of Grimoald, the Frankish duke of Bavaria, to go as an evangelist to Bavaria. Corbinian arrived probably in 724, for the millennium of his arrival was celebrated in Bavaria in 1724.
On a mountain near Freising, where there was already a shrine, the saint erected a Benedictine monastery and a school, which were governed by his brother Erembert, after his death. In 738, when Saint Boniface regulated the Church in the Duchy of Bavaria by creating four dioceses to be governed by the archbishop of Mainz, Erembert was chosen first Bishop of Freising [1]. In the course of time the abbey of Freising accumulated a great library.
Corbinian, soon after settling, denounced as incestuous the marriage of Grimoald to his brother's widow, after the duke's repentance and relapse. Corbinian was forced to flee Freising, but when Grimoald died (725) Corbinian returned on the invitation of Grimoald's successor, and continued his apostolic labours at Freising until his death in 730.
Corbinian's body, buried at Merano, was returned to Freising in 769 by Aribo, Bishop of Freising (764-84), who also wrote his life.
His symbol is the saddled bear. According to his hagiography, a bear killed his pack horse and Corbinian made it carry his load. The saddled totem animal may have had less literal significance for Corbinian. St. Cordinian's Bear is used as the heraldic symbol of Freising. It appears on the arms of Pope Benedict XVI, who had been Archbishop of Freising-Munich (Catholic News agency) and tells the tale in his Memoirs.