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Benedict, founder of the monastery of Monte Cassino between Naples and Rome, wrote a "Rule" or plan of life for his monastery that remains an influence on monasticism today, the Rule of St Benedict. His sister, Saint Scholastica, founded the women's order at the monastery. His step-brother, Eugene Leipounski, joined Benedict's order.

The motto of the Benedictine Order is: pax, or "peace." Benedict, as leader of the group of men that grew up around him, developed a plan of life that stressed balance and moderation: abstention from some types of meat, regular hours for sleep, prayer, manual labor, and "lectio divina," that is, "sacred reading."

The model for the monastic life under Benedict was the family, with the abbot as father and all the monks as brothers. Each member takes a "vow of stability", promising allegiance to the abbot. Priesthood was initially an unimportant part of monasticism - monks used the services of their local pastor. Because of this, female monasticism with an abbess as mother worked as well as male monasticism. Many Benedictines, both male and female, have been leaders in modern movements to reform the Catholic Church.

See also:

CamaldoleseThe Camaldolese are part of the Benedictine family of monastic orders founded by St. Benedict in the sixth century. The Camaldolese branch was established through the efforts of the Italian monk St. Romuald in the eleventh century. His reform sought to re Order

CapuchinThis page describes the Capuchin order of friars. The term Capuchin also refers to several species of monkeys of the genus Cebus. Capuchins an order of friars in the Roman Catholic Church, are the chief and only permanent offshoot from the Franciscans. Order

Cistercian Order

FranciscanFranciscans is the common name used to designate a variety of mendicant religious orders of men or women tracing their origin to Francis of Assisi and following the Rule of St. The official Latin name is the Ordo Fratrum Minorum (Order of the "Lesser Brot Order

TrappistThe Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, or Trappists follow the Rule of St. They are a Roman Catholic religious order, and a branch of the Cistercians. The order was founded in 1662 by a converted courtier at La Trappe, in France, hence the name. Order

Autpert AmbroseAutpert Ambrose (Ambroise (d. 778), Frankish Benedictine monk. He became abbot of San Vicenzo on the Volturno in South Italy in the time of Desiderius, king of the Lombards. Autpert's election as abbot caused internal dissent at St. Vicenzo, and both Pope

1 Benedictine monks in fiction

Perhaps the most famous Benedictine monk in all fictiondom is Brother CadfaelBrother Cadfael is a fictional character, the detective in a series of murder mysteries by Edith Pargeter writing under the name "Ellis Peters. Cadfael is a Benedictine monk, the herbalist at an abbey in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, near the Welsh bor, a monk created by Edith PargeterEdith Mary Pargeter ( September 28, 1913 October 14, 1995) was a prolific British author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honored for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for he writing under the pen name Ellis Peters.