Benedict, the Father of Western monasticism, lived circa 480 to 547. He was born in Nursia in central Italy, probably of common folk. The little we know of his personal life is gleaned from two documents: the second Dialogue of Gregory the Great, and the Rule written by Benedict himself.

As a youth, Benedict was sent to Rome to be educated. Rome was then a decadent city, and after a few years, convinced that God was calling him to be a monk or hermit, Benedict fled to a village some 50 km away. After a brief stay with some holy men, he decided on a life of solitude. He received the monastic habit at Subiaco, and retired to a cave, where he lived alone in the tradition of the Desert Fathers. Soon, he began to attract followers and, for those who wished to share his life at Subiaco, he built 12 small monasteries.

Between 520 and 530, he and a few companions founded the great monastery of Monte Cassino where Benedict spent the rest of his life and wrote his Rule. This work became the primary influence on Western religious life for the next 600 years and is still followed today by the "daughters and sons" of Saint Benedict. This remarkable guide reflects the fatherly concern and charity of Benedict himself as he adapted the austere rule of the Desert Fathers to community life. He emphasized moderation, humility, obedience, prayer and manual labour as the way to holiness. St Benedict is considered the Patriarch of Western Monasticism, and was proclaimed Patron of Europe in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.