Benedict of Nursia

Saint

Benedict of Nursia
Saint; Benedict of Nursia
	A portrait of Saint Benedict as depicted in the Benedetto Portinari Triptych, by Hans Memling
Founder of the Benedictine Order, Exorcist, Mystic, Abbot of Monte Cassino, and Father of Western Monasticism
Born	2 March 480; Nursia, Kingdom of Italy
Died	21 March 547 (aged 67); Mons Casinus, Eastern Roman Empire
Venerated in	All Christian denominations which venerate saints
Canonized	1220, Rome, Papal States by Pope Honorius III
Major shrine	Monte Cassino Abbey, with his burial; Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, near Orléans, France; Sacro Speco, at Subiaco, Italy
Feast	11 July (General Roman Calendar, Lutheran Churches, Anglican Communion); 14 March (Eastern Orthodox Church, Byzantine Catholic Church); 21 March (pre-1970 General Roman Calendar)
Attributes	Bell; Book inscribed "Pray and Work"; Broken cup and serpent representing poison; Broken utensil; Bush; Crosier; Man in a Benedictine cowl holding Benedict's rule or a rod of discipline; Raven; holding a bound bundle of sticks;
Patronage	Against poison; Against curses; Agricultural workers; Cavers; Civil engineers; Coppersmiths; Dying people; Erysipelas; Europe; Farmers; Fever; Gall stones; Heerdt, Germany; Heraldry and Officers of arms; the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest; Inflammatory diseases; Italian architects; Kidney disease; Monks; Nettle rash; Norcia, Italy; People in religious orders; San Beda University; Schoolchildren and students; Servants who have broken their master's belongings; Speleologists; Spelunkers; Temptations;

Benedict of Nursia (Latin: Benedictus Nursiae; Italian: Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March 480 – 21 March 547), often known as Saint Benedict, was a Christian monk. He is famed in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Old Catholic Churches. In 1964, Pope Paul VI declared Benedict a patron saint of Europe.

Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco in present-day Lazio, Italy (about 65 kilometres (40 mi) to the east of Rome), before moving southeast to Monte Cassino in the mountains of central Italy. The present-day Order of Saint Benedict emerged later and, moreover, is not an "order" as the term is commonly understood, but a confederation of autonomous congregations.

Benedict's main achievement, his Rule of Saint Benedict, contains a set of rules for his monks to follow. Heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian (c. 360 – c. 435), it shows strong affinity with the earlier Rule of the Master, but it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness (ἐπιείκεια, epieíkeia), which persuaded most Christian religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, Benedict's Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. For this reason, Giuseppe Carletti regarded Benedict as the founder of Western Christian monasticism.