Born into a distinguished family in central Italy, Benedict studied at Rome and was drawn to monasticism, first becoming a hermit. He soon realized, however, 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 many found his strict rule too difficult. Nonetheless, their interest moved Benedict from hermit to community life, and led to his idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery.” Eventually, Benedict built one of the most famous monasteries in the world — Monte Cassino.
The Rule that gradually developed calls for a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community under a common abbot. Today, the Benedictine family is comprised of two branches: the Benedictine Federation, encompassing men and women of the Order of Saint Benedict, and the Cistercians, men and women of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.
Saint Benedict, pray for us!
