Bernold succeeded Saint Adalbold as Bishop of Utrecht on 24 September 1027, when he was appointed by emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Conrad II.

He was likely an official in Conrad's court prior to taking on the powerful post as Prince-Bishop: both an episcopal head and secular feudal lord within the Empire.

A supporter of Conrad and his successor Henry III, Bernold was active church reform, helping to reduce episcopal power over monastic orders, helping to strengthen the Cluniac order in his domains, weakening lay lords control of churches and church land, and aiding the Holy Roman Emperor.

A brief rebellion led by Lorraine nobility in 1046 was defeated by Emperor Henry, and the Council of Aachen in 1049 saw Bernold's see expanded.

His relics, including a cloth shirt, are venerated in Utrecht, and his cult goes back to at least the 14th century.