Saint Benedict 11 July 2022

St Benedict V2 Fotor 20230703133945

Saint Benedict's Story

It is unfortunate that no contemporary biography was written of a man who has exercised the greatest influence on monasticism in the West. Benedict is well recognized in the later Dialogues of Saint Gregory, but these are sketches to illustrate miraculous elements of his career.

Benedict was born into a distinguished family in central Italy, studied at Rome, and early in life was drawn to monasticism. At first he became a hermit, leaving a depressing world—pagan armies on the march, the Church torn by schism, people suffering from war, morality at a low ebb.

He soon realized that he could not live a hidden life in a small town any better than in a large city, so he withdrew to a cave high in the mountains for three years. Some monks chose Benedict as their leader for a while, but found his strictness not to their taste. Still the shift from hermit to community life had begun for him. He had an idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery” to give them the benefit of unity, fraternity, and permanent worship in one house. Finally he began to build what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world—Monte Cassino, commanding three narrow valleys running toward the mountains north of Naples.

The Rule that gradually developed prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community under a common abbot. Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation, and Benedictine charity has always shown concern for the people in the surrounding countryside. In the course of the Middle Ages, all monasticism in the West was gradually brought under the Rule of St. Benedict.

Today the Benedictine family is represented by two branches: the Benedictine Federation encompassing the men and women of the Order of St. Benedict; and the Cistercians, men and women of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.

Categories: 

More News

Pope: Synod Assembly of Bishops to be held in 2023 and 2024

October 23, 2022

The Synod of Bishops’ meetings in the Vatican—originally scheduled to be held in October 2023—will now also take place in October 2024, as part...Read more

Solemnity of All Saints

October 21, 2022

(Holy Day of Obligation) -Masses: Vigil (Tuesday) 7pm St Osmund, (Wednesday) 10am Holy Redeemer, 12 Midday St Osmund, 6pm St Osmund...Read more

Eradicate hunger with spirit of fraternity

October 18, 2022

Pope to World Food Forum: Eradicate hunger with spirit of fraternity

In a message to the World Food Forum taking place...Read more