by Zach Lewis

In a short while, we will have the opportunity to celebrate a significant day in the Catholic church, especially in our parish. July 11th is the feast of Saint Benedict, the patron saint of students and one of the patron saints of Europe, in addition the patron saint of our parish. 

Saint Benedict lived in Italy from the year 480 to 547. He founded the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy and is considered the father of Western monasticism. The Rule of Saint Benedict was his established way of living that helped forge Christian ideals of living for Europeans. After witnessing the work of evangelization and civilization by monks among many Europeans following Benedict’s rule implementation, Pope Paul VI proclaimed him a patron saint of Europe. 

According to St. Gregory I, who wrote the book that is the only known source of facts for Saint Benedict’s life, Benedict was born to a good family who sent him to Roman schools. In his youth, Rome was still run by a government in the form of a Senate and consuls, but in 546, the Papacy filled an administrative vacuum and became the ruler of a small country that became independent from the rest of the empire. This led to a wider platform for Benedict, whose way of living served as a link between monasticism and the dawning new age.

Fast forwarding countless years later, Saint Benedict can be an inspiration to us all today. With evangelization being a big part of his identity, he is very closely connected to our parish other than for the reason that it is named after him. As we continuously strive to be an explosively alive parish community, it’s important to keep in mind that evangelization is a key part of that effort. That undeniably comes easier for some than others and is something that most of us have to work towards, but we can help ourselves and each other do so by leaning on the help of Saint Benedict and the close connection that he has with the Lord to springboard our progress.

You may come to find that evangelization can take place in several ways. We all know that our words play a big role in this, but our small day-to-day actions are a bigger factor than you may know. It’s also worth noting that evangelization takes courage at times, particularly when done boldly. With that said, we can draw from the courage and strength of Saint Benedict, who showed this through evangelization and being a difference maker in Europe under changing circumstances. 

As we quickly approach July 11th, the feast of Saint Benedict, may our parish and parishioners continue to carry on Saint Benedict’s legacy and be inspired by him.