St Benedict and St Scholastica

Saint Benedict

Saint Benedict's Life
Benedict was born about the year 480 at Norcia in Italy and he died about 547. As a young man, he studied in Rome, but he was disgusted with the life there and dropped out. Although Christianity was the official religion, the Roman Empire was in decline. Benedict became a hermit. Later he founded monasteries at Subiaco and Monte Cassino. It was at Monte Cassino that he wrote his Rule which was based on existing rules that he adapted according to his own experience. Monte Cassino was destroyed by the Lombards, only 34 years after his death. The monks went to Rome, taking the Rule with them. Pope St Gregory wrote St Benedict's Life, and built a monastery on the Caelian Hill in Rome. From there he sent the monk, Augustine, to Canterbury in 597 to convert the English, only 50 years after St Benedict's death. In addition to St Benedict's Feast Day on 11th July, Benedictine communities have an extra one on 21st March. Click here for what Pope Benedict XVI said about St Benedict.	Saint Benedict as a young monk, with symbols from his Life as told by Saint Gregory A print from a 17th century manuscript

Saint Benedict's Life

Benedict was born about the year 480 at Norcia in Italy and he died about 547. As a young man, he studied in Rome, but he was disgusted with the life there and dropped out. Although Christianity was the official religion, the Roman Empire was in decline.
Benedict became a hermit.
Later he founded monasteries at Subiaco and Monte Cassino. It was at Monte Cassino that he wrote his Rule which was based on existing rules that he adapted according to his own experience.
Monte Cassino was destroyed by the Lombards, only 34 years after his death. The monks went to Rome, taking the Rule with them.
Pope St Gregory wrote St Benedict's Life, and built a monastery on the Caelian Hill in Rome. From there he sent the monk, Augustine, to Canterbury in 597 to convert the English, only 50 years after St Benedict's death.

In addition to St Benedict's Feast Day on 11th July, Benedictine communities have an extra one on 21st March.

Click here for what Pope Benedict XVI said about St Benedict.

Saint Benedict as a young monk,
with symbols from his Life
as told by Saint Gregory

St Benedict

A print from a 17th century manuscript

Saint Scholastica

The Sister of St Benedict
This 17th century print symbolises her great love for Christ Jesus	Scholastica, Benedict's sister, was the only person who ever got the better of him. May be she was his big sister: certainly she died before him. She was a consecrated virgin, and St Gregory records that she made an annual visit to the guest house of her brother's monastery. On one occasion, she asked Benedict to stay overnight at the guest house, there to talk with him, but he was shocked, and refused. Scholastica then put her head down on her hands on the table, and prayed. Immediately, there was an almighty storm, preventing Benedict and his monks from returning to their monastery! Benedict said: God forgive you, what have you done? and she replied: I desired you to stay, and you would not hear me. I have desired our good Lord, and he heard my prayer. St Gregory's comment is: She did more because she loved more. She is the patron saint of Benedictine nuns, and her feast day is on 10th February. Click here for the text of what St Gregory wrote about St Scholastica.

The Sister of St Benedict

This 17th century print
symbolises her great love for Christ Jesus

Scholastica, Benedict's sister, was the only person who ever got the better of him. May be she was his big sister: certainly she died before him.
She was a consecrated virgin, and St Gregory records that she made an annual visit to the guest house of her brother's monastery. On one occasion, she asked Benedict to stay overnight at the guest house, there to talk with him, but he was shocked, and refused. Scholastica then put her head down on her hands on the table, and prayed. Immediately, there was an almighty storm, preventing Benedict and his monks from returning to their monastery!
Benedict said: God forgive you, what have you done? and she replied: I desired you to stay, and you would not hear me. I have desired our good Lord, and he heard my prayer. St Gregory's comment is: She did more because she loved more.

She is the patron saint of Benedictine nuns, and her feast day is on 10th February.

Click here for the text of what St Gregory wrote about St Scholastica.