ST. BENEDICT OF NORCIA (V-VI century)
St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism, was born in a noble family in Norcia, Umbria, around 480 a. C. He was sent to Rome to dedicate himself to study but he was not attracted at all to the turbulent life of the Capitoline city so, at the age of 17 years, he retired himself at first in a cave in the Aniene valley, then in a cave near Subiaco; here he met a Roman monk and, after officially becoming a monk, he was sent by him to mount Taleo, where he lived for three years in poverty and solitude. He later agreed to lead the monastery of Vicovaro but he soon had to leave because the monks, that didn't appreciate his innovations at all, tried to poison him. Back in Subiaco, he remained there for thirty years: he welcomed disciples and gave life to a monastic colony of twelve small monasteries, with twelve monks each, led by an abbot. Due to the envy of the local clergy, he subsequently abandoned Subiaco and headed to Cassino, on whose mountain, in 529, he founded the famous abbey. In 540, he wrote the Monastic Rule, based on prayer, obedience, poverty and work, this last one referred to manual employment and study; therefore in the abbey was built a “scriptorium” to copy and illustrate books. To write the Monastic Rule, he took inspiration from the norm of St. Basil, St. Pachomius and other famous spiritual masters. The Benedictine Rule provided, among other things, two original and important principles: 1) “stabilitas loci” which is the obligation to live all their life in the same monastery; 2) “conversatio” or good moral conduct, mutual piety and obedience to the abbot. Benedict died on 21 March 547 in Montecassino, forty days after the death of his sister Scolastica, with whom he will be buried. Pope Paul VI, on 24 October 1924, proclaimed him the Patron of Europe.