St. Scholastica

St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, was born in 480 and consecrated her life to God from her earliest youth. After her brother went to Monte Cassino, where he established his famous monastery, she went to live in the neighborhood at Plombariola, where she founded and governed a monastery of nuns, about five miles from that of St. Benedict.

She visited her brother once a year, and as she was not allowed to enter his monastery, he went with some of his brothers to meet her at a house some distance away. On one occasion they had passed the time as usual in prayer and pious conversation. St. Scholastica begged her brother to remain until the next day. St. Benedict refused to spend the night outside his monastery. She had recourse to prayer, and a furious thunderstorm burst so that neither St. Benedict nor any of his companions could return home. They spent the night in spiritual conferences. Three days later St. Scholastica died, and her brother beheld her soul in a vision as it ascended into heaven. He sent his brothers to bring her body to his monastery and laid it in the tomb he had prepared for himself.

She died about the year 543, and St. Benedict followed her soon after. Her feast day is February 10th.