ST. ALTO, ABBOT

THIS saint was a Scottish holy monk, who, travelling into Germany, was famous for many miracles, and founded, by the liberality of king Pepin, the abbey of Altmunster* in Bavaria, about the middle of the eighth century. In the midst of a barbarous nation, at that time over-run with ignorance, vice, and superstition, the extraordinary humility and devotion of this saint infused into many the perfect maxims and spirit of holy religion, and his single life was a sensible demonstration of the power of divine grace in raising vessels of weakness and corruption to the most sublime state of sanctity. He is honored in Germany on the 9th of February, which seems to have been the day of his death. But the British calendars commemorate him on the 5th of September. The abbey of Altmunster was repaired and given to Brigitin nuns in the fifteenth century. See Aventinus, Annales Biorum,1. 1, Raderus, Bavaria Sancta, t. 1, p. 68. Chatolain, Not. Bolland, ad 9 Feb. Colgan gives his life on the 9th of February. Act. SS. Hil. p. 301.