A Benedictine Communion of Saints
Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B.
Saint Scholastica is remembered as one of the earliest women associated with the Benedictine monastic tradition. Living in Italy during the sixth century, she is most often known as the sister of Benedict of Nursia. Yet her importance extends beyond that familial connection. Through her life of prayer and devotion, Scholastica helped shape the spiritual environment in which Benedictine monasticism developed. Her story offers a glimpse into the early role of women in the monastic movement and the quiet influence of contemplative faith.
Very little is known with certainty about Scholastica’s early life. Tradition holds that she was born into the same noble family as Benedict in the region of Umbria, Italy, around the end of the fifth century. As Benedict gradually established communities of monks and developed the rule that would guide them, Scholastica is believed to have embraced a similar vocation. Many accounts describe her as living in a nearby community of consecrated women, dedicating her life to prayer, simplicity, and spiritual discipline in a way parallel to the life Benedict organized for his monks.
The most famous story about Scholastica appears in the Dialogues of Gregory the Great, who recorded several episodes from Benedict’s life. According to Gregory, Benedict and Scholastica would meet once each year at a house not far from the monastery at Monte Cassino. During one of these visits, after a long day spent discussing spiritual matters, Scholastica asked her brother to remain with her through the night so they could continue their conversation about God. Benedict declined, explaining that his rule did not allow him to stay away from the monastery.
Scholastica then quietly bowed her head in prayer. Shortly afterward, a sudden and violent storm broke out, making it impossible for Benedict and his companions to travel back to the monastery. Benedict reportedly remarked that God had heard his sister’s request more readily than his own. Gregory presents the moment as an illustration of the power of love in prayer. While Benedict represented the careful discipline of monastic order, Scholastica’s prayer reflected a deeper desire simply to remain in conversation about divine things.
Three days after this meeting, Benedict saw a vision that suggested his sister had died. Gregory describes Benedict looking toward heaven and seeing what appeared to be her soul ascending in the form of a dove. He then arranged for her body to be brought to Monte Cassino, where she was buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself. The account conveys both their closeness as siblings and their shared dedication to a life directed entirely toward God.
Saint Scholastica’s legacy lies less in documented achievements than in the spiritual example preserved through this tradition. She represents a form of holiness rooted in prayer, devotion, and quiet perseverance. Within the broader story of Benedictine monasticism, her life reminds readers that the movement was shaped not only by rules and institutions but also by the deep personal faith of those who embraced the contemplative path. Through her story, the early monastic tradition retains a powerful reminder of the enduring strength of prayer and love.
Let us pray:
Lord our God,
you robed the virgin Scholastica
with the beauty and splendor of innocence.
Help us to walk blamelessly before you
that in the company of virgins
we might praise your name for ever,
and find our delight in you.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Feb 10: St. Scholastica. Dialogues Bk II, Butler’s Lives of the Saints
