Saint · 480
Benedict of Nursia
Venerable Benedict of Nursia († 543)
New Calendar March 14 Old Calendar March 27
Why they are a saint
His name, Benedictus, means “Blessed” in Latin. He was born in 480 in Nursia, a small town northeast of Rome. He had only rudimentary schooling: he wrote later of his fear that through book-learning he might ‘lose the great understanding of my soul.’ At an early age he fled to a monastery where he was tonsured; he then withdrew to a remote mountain, where he lived or several years in a cave, perfecting himself in prayer.
Patronage / why chosen as patron
Orthodox Christians usually take Benedict of Nursia as a patron when they bear the name Benedict at baptism, or were born or baptized near the feast on March 14. As a monastic, he is also asked for help in prayer, fasting, and repentance.
Prayer
O holy Benedict of Nursia, pray to God for us.
A short general prayer to a saint, not a liturgical text. No public-domain troparion for this saint is included.