Saint Benedict

Benedict was born around 480 in Nursia, in central Italy, and was sent to Rome to study. Disgusted by the city's moral decay, he withdrew to live as a hermit in a cave at Subiaco. Disciples gathered around him, and he founded twelve small monasteries there. Around 529 he moved to Monte Cassino, between Rome and Naples, where he built the monastery that became his home for the rest of his life. His twin sister, Saint Scholastica, led a community of nuns nearby.

At Monte Cassino Benedict wrote his Rule, a wise and balanced guide for community life summed up in the motto "ora et labora," pray and work. Benedictine monasteries spread across Europe, preserving learning, farming and prayer through centuries of upheaval. He died at Monte Cassino around 547, standing in the chapel, supported by his monks. In 1964 Saint Paul VI proclaimed him patron of Europe.

The Saint Benedict medal, bearing the cross and the Latin initials of a prayer of exorcism such as "Vade retro Satana" (Begone, Satan), is one of the most popular sacramentals in Latin America, worn on chains, hung over doors and placed in cars for protection. Benedictine abbeys celebrate his feast with solemn sung liturgies.