St Benedict - the father of Europe and monasticism

'More than a chief, St. Benedict has been a Father. If he is the Father of Europe, it is because he has been first Father of his monks.'

(PerMariam) — A beautiful account of St. Benedict’s life is given by Pope St. Gregory the Great, in his discourses, from which the following description of St. Benedict is drawn, for this feast of his transitus.

The saintly pope writes:

“There was a man of venerable life, blessed by grace, and blessed in name, for he was called “Benedictus” or Bennet: wh…