Benedict of Nursia, Saint (480?-547?), was the father of Christian monasticism in the West. He is best known as the author of a rule (set of guidelines for monastic living). His rule emphasized a humane, moderate program of prayer, sacred readings, and manual labor. The simplicity and flexibility of the rule helped it become the most popular rule followed by monks from the 800’s on.
The only source for the life of Benedict is the Dialogues (593-594), written by Pope Saint Gregory the Great. According to Gregory, Benedict was born in Nursia (now Norcia), Italy, near Rome. He studied in Rome but left there at the age of about 20 to lead a solitary religious life in a cave near Subiaco in central Italy. His piety soon attracted other young men, and he gradually organized them into 12 small monastic communities. Benedict left Subiaco with some of his followers and went to Monte Cassino about 525 (see Monte Cassino ). There he established a great monastery and wrote his rule. His feast days are March 21 and July 11.
See also Benedictines ; Monasticism (Christian monasticism) .
