Vigils Reading – St Scholastica

THE LIFE OF

ST SCHOLASTICA

From Butler’s Lives of the Saints

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St Scholastica, who was St Benedict’s sister, traditionally his twin,

consecrated herself to God from her earliest years, as we learn from St Gregory.

It is not known where she lived, whether at home or in a community, but after

her brother had moved to Monte Cassino, she settled at Plombariola in that

same neighborhood, probably founding and ruling a nunnery about five miles to

the south of St Benedict’s monastery. St Gregory tells us that St Benedict

governed the nuns as well as the monks, and it seems clear that St Scholastica

must have been their Abbess, under his direction. She used to visit her brother

once a year and, since she was not allowed to enter his monastery, he used to go

with some monks to meet her at a house a little way off. They spent these visits

in praising God and in conferring together on spiritual matters.

St Gregory gives a remarkable description of the last of these visits. After

they had passed the day as usual they sat down in the evening to have supper.

When it was finished, Scholastica, possibly foreseeing that it would be their last

visit in this world, begged her brother to delay his return till the next day that

they might spend the time discoursing of the joys of Heaven. Benedict, who was

unwilling to transgress his rule, told her that he could not pass a night away

from the monastery.

When Scholastica found that she could not move him, she laid her head

upon her hands which were clasped together on the table and besought God to

interpose on her behalf. Her prayer was scarcely ended when there arose such a

violent storm of rain that St Benedict and his companions were unable to set

foot outside the door. He exclaimed, “God forgive you sister; what have you

done?” Whereupon she answered, “I asked a favor of you and you refused it. I

asked it of God, and He has granted it.” Benedict was therefore forced to comply

with her request, and they spent the night talking about holy things. The next

morning they parted, and three days later St Benedict saw the soul of his sister

rising to heaven like a dove.