The Feast of St. Scholastica

With the Feast of St. Scholastica occurring on February 10, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the history of this woman whose quiet strength helped shape a way of life that continues to bless the world more than 1,500 years later.

St. Scholastica holds a special place in the Benedictine story, and in the hearts of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand. As the actual sister of St. Benedict himself, she was present at the very beginning of the Benedictine tradition. But her importance stands on its own; as prioress of the first community of Benedictine women, Scholastica embodied a deep commitment to the values that continue to guide our Benedictine life today.

Born to wealthy Italian parents, Scholastica could look forward to a life of ease and prestige, undoubtedly marrying into a similarly wealthy family. But two things led her down a different path.

First, she was devoted to God from a very young age.

When you talk to our own Sisters, many of them felt that pull from God at a very young age. That doesn’t mean they made a decision in favor of religious life then and there — often, they pushed it aside, only to have it return throughout their young lives. But like Scholastica, the initial flame often began burning at a young age.

Second, Scholastica was greatly influenced by her brother, Benedict.

While the privileged young Benedict left to study in Rome, he was dismayed by the decadence he saw, and returned to begin what became his own religious order and to write the famous Rule of St. Benedict.

Our Sisters, too, were often influenced by an older sibling or aunt — or by a Sister who taught them — to consider religious life. That influence came more often by watching their example than through actual conversations.

Scholastica’s decision to lead a life devoted to God like her brother would change not just her own life, but would impact the world for centuries to come. As the founder of the first group of women religious to follow the Rule of St. Benedict, the religious women who have done likewise have spread across the world and touched literally millions of lives through their work and ministries.