Saint Scholastica
At St Patrick’s we have an excellent knowledge of Saint Benedict, being the author of “The Rule” which inspired Benedictine Spirituality followed by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and hence our own community. Do we know much about his twin sister Scholastica? Like many women of the past there is little recorded or known about her early life. Scholastica, just like her twin brother, chose a life devoted to God, founding a religious community for women near Monte Cassino at Plombariola, five miles from where Benedict governed a monastery. The twins would visit each other only once a year due to the vows they had taken when deciding on monastic life. She too became a saint (she is the Patron Saint of Nuns) and her feast day is celebrated on 10 February. One of our fellow Good Samaritan schools is named after her, St Scholastica’s in Glebe.
A reflection for us to consider about Scholastica and Benedict reads,
“Scholastica and Benedict gave themselves totally to God and gave top priority to deepening their friendship with Him through prayer. They sacrificed some of the opportunities they would have had to be together as brother and sister in order better to fulfill their vocation to the religious life. In coming closer to Christ, however, they found they were also closer to each other. In joining a religious community, they did not forget or forsake their family but rather found more brothers and sisters”.
In this year of Communio through the lens of Stewardship and Hospitality may we strive to become closer to God and closer to each other.
Louise East - Religious Studies Coordinator
Reference: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-scholastica