St. Benedict of Nursia
The father of Western monasticism. His Rule still guides monks today.
St. Benedict grew up in a noisy, restless world. As a young man he slipped away to a quiet cave in the hills to pray, and slowly other seekers began to gather around him.
From that little cave came a whole new way of life. His simple rule, ora et labora (pray and work), still guides monks all over the world nearly fifteen hundred years later.
Benedict believed holiness doesn't need anything fancy. Prayer and ordinary work, done with love, are enough.
The July envelope
July's letter comes from St. Benedict himself, sharing how prayer and ordinary work can turn any home, or classroom, or heart, into a holy place.
- A hand-drawn letter from St. Benedict
- A collectible prayer card, pencil art on the front, a hand-lettered prayer on the back
- A St. Benedict sticker
- An 8-page hand-illustrated zine
A peek inside the zine:
St. Benedict of Nursia facts for kids
- His motto was ora et labora: pray and work
- He had a twin sister who's a saint too, St. Scholastica
- Monks still live by his Rule nearly 1,500 years after he wrote it
- His feast day is July 11
Feast day: July 11 · Patron of Europe and students
A different saint writes to your little one every month. Letters from Heaven mails a hand-illustrated letter, prayer card, sticker, and zine, straight to your mailbox.
Start the letters