Historical Figures Codexery

Benedict of Nursia

Italian monk who authored the influential Rule of Saint Benedict.

Benedict of Nursia was an Italian monk who founded the Order of Saint Benedict and lived from 480 to 547.[1]

Quick Facts

Titles
Father of Western Monasticism, Patron of Europe
Born
2 March 480
Birthplace
Nursia, Italy
Died
21 March 547
Place of death
Mons Casinus, Eastern Roman Empire
Venerated in
  • Catholic Church
  • Eastern Orthodox Church
  • Anglican Communion
  • Lutheranism
Canonized
1220
Canonized place
Rome, Papal States

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

He was sent to Rome to study but was disappointed by the academic studies and the licentiousness of fellow students.[2][3] He met a monk named Romanus, who gave him a monk's habit and advised him to become a hermit.[4][3] After the death of an abbot, a community of monks begged Benedict to become their abbot, but the experiment failed and they tried to poison him.[5] Benedict left Subiaco around 530 and founded the great Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino.[6]

Benedict died of a fever at Monte Cassino, traditionally on 21 March 547.[7] Benedict departed Rome accompanied by his nurse and took up residence in Enfide, a location thirty miles from Rome according to one source, while another states the distance as forty miles.[2][3] For a period of three years, Benedict lived as a hermit in a cave situated above a lake in the vicinity of Subiaco.[4][3][8]

What the cited sources add

The Catholic Encyclopedia account states that Benedict was a twin with his sister Scholastica, a tradition accepted by St. Bede.[9] The Lives of Saints account describes how Benedict miraculously mended an earthen sieve for his servant at Enfide.[3][9] The same audience noted that Benedict left Subiaco in 529 and settled at Monte Cassino.[8] The Catholic Online account says Benedict died on 21 March 543, not long after his sister.[10]

An NBC News report from 31 October 2016 states that the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia was destroyed by an earthquake on 30 October 2016.[11][12]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Barry, "St. Benedict and Christianity in England", Gracewing Publishing, 1995, p. 32; Ramshaw, "Festivals and Commemorations in Evangelical Lutheran Worship", Augsburg Fortress, 1983, p. 299; Barrely, "The Little Book of Saints", Chronicle Book, 23 March 2011, p. 34 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ""Saint Benedict, Abbot", Lives of Saints", John J. Crawley & Co.; "Knowles, Michael David. "St. Benedict". Encyclopedia Britannica" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. ""Saint Benedict, Abbot", Lives of Saints", John J. Crawley & Co.. facts only, no text reused. ewtn.com
  4. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Knowles, Michael David. "St. Benedict". Encyclopedia Britannica" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Life and Miracles of St. Benedict (Book II, Dialogues), tr. Odo John Zimmerman, O.S.B. and Benedict , O.S.B. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1980), p. iv. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bunson, M., Bunson, M., & Bunson, S., Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints (Huntington IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2014), p. 125.; "St Benedict of Nursia", the British Library (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Saint Benedict of Norcia"; "St. Benedict of Norcia", Catholic Online; "Egregiae Virtutis"; Brewer's dictionary of phrase & fable. Cassell. p.953; Santos, J. T., "The Pilgrimage of San Benito in the 20th Century", lalagunaahora.com, 15 June 2015.; "Romería de San Benito Abad", Oficial de turismo de España (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Saint Benedict of Norcia". facts only, no text reused. vatican.va
  9. "Ford, Hugh. "St. Benedict of Norcia." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 3 March 2014". facts only, no text reused. newadvent.org
  10. "St. Benedict of Norcia", Catholic Online. facts only, no text reused. catholic.org
  11. Bruton, F. B., & Lavanga, C., "Beer-Brewing Monks of Norcia Say Earthquake Destroys St. Benedict Basilica" , NBC News, 31 October 2016.. facts only, no text reused. nbcnews.com
  12. Wikipedia, "Benedict of Nursia" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Earthquake Blog – Monks of Norcia"; Bruton, F. B., & Lavanga, C., "Beer-Brewing Monks of Norcia Say Earthquake Destroys St. Benedict Basilica" , NBC News, 31 October 2016. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Benedict of Nursia (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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