St. Benedict, Abbot, Patron of Europe - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/07/11/st--benedict--abbot--patron-of-europe.html
St. Benedict, Abbot, Patron of Europe - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/07/11/st--benedict--abbot--patron-of-europe.html The thought of St. Benedict is the lifeblood of Europe Born in the central Italian mountain town of Norcia (Nursia) around AD 480, St. Benedict became one of the most important catalysts for the creation of a new European culture after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West (traditionally dated to AD 476). The system of monastic life he developed and nourished spread centers of prayer and hospitality throughout the continent. Benedictine monasteries were not only spiritual and cultural centers, but also a source of sustenance and relief for pilgrims and the poor. Bright Star in a Dark Century St. Gregory the Great – who wrote the only ancient biography of St. Benedict that we have – called St. Benedict “a bright light” in an age marked by the most serious crisis. From his youth, Benedict’s life was marked b