Our Pilgrimage to St. Benedict Abbey in Monte Cassino
Collegio San Norberto arranges two pilgrimages every year for the staff and students of the college. I wrote in my blog last October about Our Pilgrimage to Mount Prenestini and the Sanctuary of Mentorella. Last Saturday we went to the Monte Cassino Abbey, located on a rocky hill about 81 miles (130 kilometers) away from Rome. It was almost two hours ride from our house also. I occupied a front seat thinking that nobody would come and sit with me and I could listen to the Italian lessons in my iPod. But, Fr. Rector came and sat next to me and showed a book he was reading, written by a priest who suffered through the Nazi atrocities. He wanted me to read a chapter of the book. I began to read, and then fell asleep before he could notice it.
Montecassino Abbey is considered the beacon of Western Culture as it was a spiritual center for fifteen hundred years. St. Benedict established his first monastery here around A.D. 529. Ever since, the Abbey has been of inspiration for thousands of people because of the tireless works of the Benedictine monks. They worked hard to preserve many scientific and medical books besides many other things.
Ora et Labora was the principle of St. Benedict and it was instrumental in building up of Catholic spirituality in Europe. The Basilica restored by the Italian Government after its complete destruction in the allied bombing during World War II, is one of the most beautiful baroque churches in the world. The mortal remains of St. Benedict and his sister Scholastica are kept in this Church.
Gregory the Great has written a biography on the Life of Saint Benedict of Nursia and he tells in the book that the monastery was built on a site previously dedicated to the pagan god, Apollo. After removing the statues of the pagan gods, he dedicated the church to St. Martin and built another chapel, dedicating the altar to St. John the Baptist. St. Benedict never left his Abbey and wrote the Benedictine rule that became the founding principle for Western Monasticism.
During World War II, the Abbey was completely destroyed due to the heavy Allied air-raids which happened because of the mistaken belief that it was a German stronghold. The Abbey was used as a refugee camp and the monks helped the refugees during the war too.
We are proud of our Catholic heritage and the great culture and civilizations these great institutions brought to the life of the people in Europe. At the same time visiting these places must also inspire us to follow the great examples they left behind. By connecting themselves with Christ, they transformed the culture and lives of a great generation. It is our responsibility to keep this light burning brightly by the Spirit-filled life we lead today. We will prove to the world that St. Benedict’s work was not in vain and Christ will guarantee that our work will not be in vain if we follow the path of the saints.
