Stories & Legends
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St. Scholastica Prays for Rain
& a Great Storm Comes
Scholastica (480-543) was the sister of St. Benedict of Nursia, and is revered as the Patron Saint of Benedictine nuns, established a convent at Piumarola in Italy in accordance with the principles of the monastic rule established by her brother at nearby Monte Cassino.
Now then, Scholastica had been dedicated to the Almighty Lord since her very infancy. She used to come to see Benedict once a year and the man of God would come down to meet her at a property belonging to the monastery not far from the gate.
Now one day she came as usual, and her venerable brother came down to meet her with his disciples. They spent the whole day praising God and in holy conversation, and when night's darkness fell, they ate a meal together.
While they were seated at table, talking of holy matters, it began to get rather late and so this holy nun, Benedict's sister, made the following request: "I beg you not to leave me tonight, so that we might talk until morning about the joys of heavenly life."
Benedict answered, "What are you saying, sister? I certainly cannot stay away from my monastery."
The sky was so clear at the time that there was not a cloud to be seen. When the nun heard the words of her brother's refusal, she put her hands together on the table and bent her head in her hands to pray the Almighty Lord.
When she lifted her head from the table, such violent lightning and thunder burst forth, together with a great downpour of rain, that neither the venerable Benedict nor the brothers who were with him could set foot outside the door of the place where they were sitting.
For the nun, as she bent her head in her hands, had poured forth rivers of tears onto the table, by means of which she had turned the clear sky to rain. That downpour began just as her prayer finished. In fact, the coincidence between the prayer and the downpour was so precise that she lifted her head from the table at the very moment when the thunder sounded and the rain came down exactly the same moment that she raised her head.
Then the man of God realized that he could not return to his monastery in the midst of the thunder and lightning and the heavy downpour of rain. This upset him and he began to complain, saying, "May the Almighty God forgive you, my sister. What have you done?"
To which she replied, "My brother, I asked you and you refused to listen to me. I asked my Lord and He heard me. Go now, if you can. Leave me behind and return to your monastery." But being unable to leave the building, he had to remain there against his will, since he refused to stay there voluntarily. And so they spent the whole night awake, satisfying each other's hunger for holy conversation about the spiritual life.
On the morrow, the holy woman returned to her monastery, and the man of God to his. Three days after, he was in his cell; and, lo, raising his eyes, he saw the soul of his sister in the shape of a dove going up to Heaven.
Full of joy at her being thus glorified, he thanked his God in hymns of praise, and told the brethren of her death. He straightway bade them go and bring her body to the monastery. When this was done, he had it buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself. Thus it was that, as they had ever been one soul in God, their bodies were united in the same grave.
And let it be noted that this quick response of God to Scholastica’s request to prolong her brother's stay, which some might deem rash, is not to be wondered at. The sister’s wish prevailed over him for, whereas St. John tells us that God is charity, it happened by a most just judgment that she that had the stronger love had the stronger power.
St. Benedict & his sister St. Scholastica would meet for holy conversation once a year
Now one day she came as usual, and her venerable brother came down to meet her with his disciples. They spent the whole day praising God and in holy conversation, and when night's darkness fell, they ate a meal together.
While they were seated at table, talking of holy matters, it began to get rather late and so this holy nun, Benedict's sister, made the following request: "I beg you not to leave me tonight, so that we might talk until morning about the joys of heavenly life."
Benedict answered, "What are you saying, sister? I certainly cannot stay away from my monastery."
Scholastic lowered her head to appeal to God
When she lifted her head from the table, such violent lightning and thunder burst forth, together with a great downpour of rain, that neither the venerable Benedict nor the brothers who were with him could set foot outside the door of the place where they were sitting.
For the nun, as she bent her head in her hands, had poured forth rivers of tears onto the table, by means of which she had turned the clear sky to rain. That downpour began just as her prayer finished. In fact, the coincidence between the prayer and the downpour was so precise that she lifted her head from the table at the very moment when the thunder sounded and the rain came down exactly the same moment that she raised her head.
Then the man of God realized that he could not return to his monastery in the midst of the thunder and lightning and the heavy downpour of rain. This upset him and he began to complain, saying, "May the Almighty God forgive you, my sister. What have you done?"
To which she replied, "My brother, I asked you and you refused to listen to me. I asked my Lord and He heard me. Go now, if you can. Leave me behind and return to your monastery." But being unable to leave the building, he had to remain there against his will, since he refused to stay there voluntarily. And so they spent the whole night awake, satisfying each other's hunger for holy conversation about the spiritual life.
Benedict and Scholastica are buried together under the main altar at Monte Casino
Full of joy at her being thus glorified, he thanked his God in hymns of praise, and told the brethren of her death. He straightway bade them go and bring her body to the monastery. When this was done, he had it buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself. Thus it was that, as they had ever been one soul in God, their bodies were united in the same grave.
And let it be noted that this quick response of God to Scholastica’s request to prolong her brother's stay, which some might deem rash, is not to be wondered at. The sister’s wish prevailed over him for, whereas St. John tells us that God is charity, it happened by a most just judgment that she that had the stronger love had the stronger power.
St. Scholastica as the Mother of the Benedictine Sisters
Adapted from Chapter 33 of St. Gregory the Great’s Dialogues
Posted February 14, 2026
Posted February 14, 2026
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