Born in Nursia, Italy, around 480 AD, Benedict was raised in a wealthy family and eventually sent to Rome to further his academic studies. Disturbed by the lifestyle of the city and of the world, however, Benedict retreated to a group of monks in the hills and became a hermit. | | He lived alone in a hidden cave for three years, until the news of his sanctity and mortifications began to spread. Asked to be the Abbot of a nearby monastery, Benedict reluctantly accepted. He tried to return to his solitary life later, but as followers kept coming he ended up establishing twelve small monasteries. | | Throughout his life, Benedict became known for many miracles, foiling an assassination attempt on his life by prayer, and his monastic rule which would become the foundation of the Benedictine Order. All of his writings and encouragement for his brother monks could best be summarized by the motto by which he lived: "Ora et Labora" or "Pray and Work." |
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