Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Benedict was born in a small town called Nursia in Central Italy, around the year 480. His family belonged to the aristocracy.
He went to Rome for his studies. He was, however, repelled by the vices he saw in the city. In the year 500, he gave up everything and fled to Enfide, a small community of students thirty miles outside of Rome. From there he became a hermit living in a hidden cave in mountainous Subiaco now known as Sacro Speco
He lived there for three years being cared for by a monk named Romanus.
Despite Benedict’s desire for solitude, his holiness and austerities became known and he was asked by a community of monks at Vicovaro, to be their abbot. He accepted. The strictness of his rule, however, led to an attempt on his life.
Some monks tried to poison him, but he blessed the cup and the poison was rendered harmless. Benedict returned to Subiaco and soon attracted great numbers of disciples. He organised them into twelve monasteries each comprising 12 monks with its own superior. He made manual work, part of the programme and soon, Subiaco became a centre of spirituality and learning. Then, a neighboring monk named Florentius attempted to undermine Benedict’s work. The Saint left Subiaco suddenly, after about 28 years in this place. In 525, he settled at Monte Cassino. He destroyed a pagan temple to Apollo on its crest, brought the people of the neighbouring areas back to Christianity and in about 530, he began to build the monastery that was to be “the birthplace of Western monasticism”. It became the mother house of the Benedictine Order.
As his reputation for holiness, wisdom and miracles spread far and wide, disciples again flocked to him. He organized the monks into a single monastic community and wrote for them regulations called “the Holy Rule”, a system comprising of prayers, study, work, moderate asceticism, community life under one superior and common sense. It stressed obedience, stability and zeal. The Divine Office, the daily liturgical prayer of the Church, was made the core of the monastic routine.
While performing his duties as abbot, Saint Benedict counceled popes and secular rulers, he ministered to the poor and destitute, and still managed to engage in scholarly persuits.
St Benedict is traditionally believed to have died on 21 March 547 in his abbey church, his hands raised heavenward in prayer, after having received Holy Communion before the high altar.
He was buried next to his twin sister, Saint Scholastica, in the Oratory of St John the Baptist at Cassino.
Saint benedict was proclaimed “Father of Europe” by Pope Pius XII and “Patron Saint of all Europe on 24 October 1964 by Pope Paul VI.
His motto was:
** “Ora et labora” – “Pray and work”**
Saint Benedict of Nursia,
Pray for us!