St. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480 A.D. At age 17, he was sent to Rome for his liberal education, but he became disgusted by the dissoluteness rampant in the capital of the Empire, the he chose the call of God to a better and higher life.

He then decided to withdraw to the fastness of Subiaco about 40 miles east of Rome to live a simple life in a cave. Soon he was discovered by sheperds and the fame of his holiness rapidly spread.

Soon other men who wanted to profit from his example and teachings joined him. The number of his followes increased tremendously that Benedict had to build no less than twelve monasteries in the vicinity to house them. However, each monastery having twelve monks and an abbot to rule it, was personally directed by Benedict.

Among the monasteries he founded was the Monastery of Monte Cassino which still exists today. Here he wrote the Holy Rule for Monks. St. Benedict died in 547 A.D.

The Holy Rule was adopted by the monasteries in the empire of Charlemagne. From the seventh century until the emergence of the Friar Orders in the thirteenth century, monastic life was the only form of