Roman Catholics celebrate the feast day of Saint Benedict on Monday, July 11.

At the St. Benedict Parish in Barangay Holy Spirit in Quezon City, the feast day mass will be offered at 6 p.m. Last Sunday, July 10, Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Antonio Tobias presided over a high mass in honor of St. Benedict. A procession and motorcade were also held.

Novena masses were celebrated from July 2 to 10.

Popularly known as the Patriarch of Western monks and the founder of the Benedictine Order, Benedictine communities in many parts of the world will also hold commemorative masses in his honor.

Aside from the Catholic Church, the popular saint is also venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Old Catholic Churches.

Named as the patron saint and protector of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964, Church officials regard St. Benedict as “a great missionary, a man of prayer, a spiritual director of souls, the epitome of humility, and a true servant of God.”

The popular Italian saint founded several monasteries, the most famous of which is located in Monte Cassino, Italy, where he also wrote the Rule of the Benedictine Order. At one point, there were more than 40,000 monasteries worldwide guided by the Benedictine rule.

Guided by the golden rule “Ora et Labora,” which means pray and work, the Benedictines have, according to records, given the Church 50 Popes, 7,000 bishops, and 40,000 saints.

Saint Scholastica, another popular saint, is the twin sister of Saint Benedict.