|St. Benedict delivering his Rule to St. Maurus and other monks of his order|
France, Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes, 1129
St. Benedict (c.480–547) is a Christian saint, honored by the Roman Catholic Church as the patron saint of Europe and students and beekeepers. Catholic saints are people who lived extraordinary lives. Learn more about St. Benedict and the Blessing of Bees.
During his time monasteries kept bees to provide honey for sweetening food and making mead and wax for candles. Honey was used to make the often bitter herbal remedies sweeter and easier to take.
St. Benedict was born at Nursia in Umbria in about 480 and was sent to Rome to be educated, but soon left the world to live a solitary life at Subiaco. After living in a cave in the mountains for two years as a hermit, he had acquired such a reputation that disciples came in numbers to join him and important Roman families entrusted him with the education of their children. He organized a form of monastic life in twelve small monasteries. Catholic culture.org
|Frontside of the Saint Benedict Medal|