St Benedict Saw His Sister's Soul Rise to Heaven

St Benedict's sister, St Scholastica (Feast Day, 10 February), founded the Second Order of Benedictines, who are traditionally cloistered nuns.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

According to various legends, St. Benedict witnessed his sister, St. Scholastica, enter the gates of Heaven.

Sts Benedict and Scholastica were holy twins, both founding religious orders in their lifetime.

Relatively little is known about St. Scholastica, though it is believed that the two twins would see each other at least once a year.

One of the most popular stories from the life of St. Scholastica is told in the book of Dialogues by St. Gregory the Great.

In it, St. Gregory narrates how the two siblings would meet to talk about spiritual topics dear to their heart:

Scholastica, the sister of Saint Benedict, had been consecrated to God from her earliest years. She was accustomed to visiting her brother once a year. He would come down to meet her at a place on the monastery property, not far outside the gate.

One time St. Benedict wanted to go home, but St. Scholastica prayed and a storm kept him from leaving, showing the power of her prayers.

Considering their close bond, it is fitting that St. Benedict would later witness his sister's soul rise to Heaven.

Soul rising to Heaven

This happened a few days after they last met in person and talked about many spiritual things. The events are recorded in the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, in which he records the following from the life of St. Benedict:

[T]hree days later, while sitting in his cell, he raised his eyes to heaven and saw his sister’s soul leave her body and enter heaven in the form of a dove.

Then Benedict sent his brethren to place her body in the tomb he had prepared for himself. Thus it happened that as they had been of one mind in God, the tomb did not separate their bodies.

After Scholastica's death, she was considered a saint by many, and her religious order continues to thrive throughout the world.