Special masses will be celebrated in several churches in many parts of the world including the Philippines on Friday, Feb. 10, as the Roman Catholic Church honors the life and works of Saint Scholastica, the venerated twin sister of Saint Benedict, the patriarch of western monks.
At the St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, triduum masses are traditionally held in honor and in memory of their patron saint.
Popularly known as the patron saint of nuns and convulsive children, St. Scholastica is also often invoked against storms and bad weather.
Born in Nursia, Italy on March 2, 480, St. Scholastica was deeply religious from youth. After she became a nun, she ruled a community of religious sisters in Plombarola, Italy near Monte Cassino, where St. Benedict started the foundation of the Benedictine Order.
In his “Dialogues,” St. Gregory the Great said that St. Scholastica “was a model of deep faith and love for God. When she was with her brother, St. Benedict, they prayed together and discussed spiritual matters and eternal happiness.”
According to stories, St. Benedict witnessed her soul ascending to heaven in the form of a dove when she died on Feb. 10, 547, signifying a life enriched with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.