St. Scholastica

Daily Saint

February 10

St. Scholastica

c. 480–February 10, 543

Patron Saint of nuns, education, students, rain, storms, convulsive children

St. Scholastica is honored as the sister of St. Benedict of Nursia and the foundress of the women’s branch of Benedictine monasticism. Born into a noble Christian family in central Italy, she was dedicated to God from an early age, embracing a life of consecrated virginity and prayer. While her brother established monastic communities at Subiaco and later Monte Cassino, St. Scholastica formed her own community of women a short distance away, living according to a rule similar in spirit to Benedict’s.

Although the details of St. Scholastica’s life are sparse, the most treasured account of St. Scholastica comes from Book II of The Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory the Great. There, he describes the annual meeting between the siblings, who spent a day in holy conversation near Monte Cassino.

On one such occasion, sensing her death was near, St. Scholastica begged Benedict to remain with her until morning. He refused, unwilling to violate the monastic rule. In response, St. Scholastica prayed earnestly, and a sudden, violent storm broke out, making it impossible for Benedict to leave. Realizing that her prayer had prevailed, he said, “May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?” She replied gently, “I asked my brother, and he would not listen; so I asked my God, and He did.”

Three days after that last meeting between them, St. Benedict was praying in his cell and saw his sister’s soul rising toward Heaven like a dove. He sent monks to bring her body to the monastery to be buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself.

Discover More About St. Scholastica

How was St. Scholastica’s women’s religious community connected to St. Benedict’s rule?

Pope St. Gregory the Great recorded accounts of St. Scholastica’s community, noting the nuns lived under the principles of communal life, prayer, and work established by St. Benedict. The two siblings met once a year to discuss spiritual matters and support each other in their religious lives. Together, they established the foundation for the Benedictine monastic tradition for both men and women.

What legacy did St. Scholastica leave behind?

St. Scholastica created a model for female monastic communities and a rule of prayer and service for women in the Catholic tradition. Her spiritual leadership inspired many women to follow her path of devotion, prayer, and contemplation. Many Benedictine institutions, like the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, were founded in her honor to embody her commitment to learning and community.

Were St. Scholastica and St. Benedict twins?

Sts. Benedict and Scholastica are called twins because tradition, dating back to the ninth century, holds that they were both born in 480 A.D. in Norcia, Italy, and shared a close spiritual bond throughout their lives. From an early age, both St. Benedict and St. Scholastica felt a strong calling to serve God. Their spiritual connection was so strong that when she died, her brother saw her spirit ascending into Heaven in the form of a dove and sent monks to bring back her body to the monastery, where he buried her in a tomb he had prepared for himself.

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