St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-c. 547), was a sixth-century monk and founder of the Order of St. Benedict. That became a profound influence on the face of Christianity throughout the Middle Ages. Benedict had a twin sister: St. Scholastica, whose memorial we celebrate on 10 February. We know almost nothing about her except for one beautiful story tucked into the ancient biography of her brother – the second book of Dialogues written by Pope Gregory the Great between 593 and 594. It goes like this:
Scholastica is a holy woman, and also she is a nun too. Both siblings had good friendships. They used to meet a year. Once a year, she would make a trip to her brother’s home, the monastery of Monte Cassino. The two siblings would meet for this one day each year and discuss the sorts of things saints might talk about: God, heaven, matters of the spirit. On one such occasion, as the day drew to a close and night began to gather in, Scholastica begged her brother to stay so that they might continue their discussion through the night. Benedict refused. The rules were clear: he and his monks had to return to their monastery. Overcome with emotion at having to part so soon from her beloved brother, Scholastica put her head on the table and wept and prayed.
The weather had been fine all day – not a cloud in the sky. But as soon as Scholastica finished her prayer and raised her head, all the land round about them was caught up in a terrific storm – thunder and lightning and torrential rain. Unable to leave the house and annoyed with his sister for thwarting him, Benedict stayed the night, and they continued their conversation.
The next day they parted and returned each to their own monastery. Three days later, Benedict had a vision of a dove rising to heaven, and he knew that his sister had died. He sent for her body and had it laid in the tomb which had been prepared for him, and to this day the two saints, brother and sister, can be found lying side by side, entombed together in Monte Cassino.