St. Benedict

St. Benedict, twin brother of St. Scholastica, was born to a noble family circa 480 in Italy. He studied in Rome until he tired of his classmates’ attitudes. The saint then decided to live as a hermit. He founded a monastery at Monte Cassino, near Rome. There he wrote his order’s Rule. Some monks tried to poison St. Benedict, but he was able to make it safe by blessing it. He gained so many followers that he founded 12 monasteries. The saint died in 547 of a fever. St. Benedict is patron saint of monks and against poison.