Benedict of Skalka or Szkalka ( hu, Zoborhegyi Szent Benedek, sk, Svätý Benedikt pustovník) (10th century –d. 1012), born ''Stojislav'' in

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of about 78,353, it is the fifth la ...

, Hungarian Kingdom (modern day

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

), was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk, now venerated as a saint. He became a hermit and lived an austere life in a cave along the Vah River. Benedict was strangled to death in 1012 by a gang of robbers looking for treasure. He is venerated in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

and the emigrant diasporas in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Life

Benedict became a monk at the St. Hippolytus Monastery on Mount Zobor near

(then

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

) in the late 10th or early 11th century. He later became a hermit with his fellow saint and spiritual teacher

Andrew Zorard Andrew Zorard ( Hungarian: ''Zoerárd András'', ''Szórád'', ''Zoárd''; Polish: ''Andrzej Świerad'', ''Żurawek'', ''Żórawek'', ''Świrad'', and ''Wszechrad''; Slovak: ''Svorad'', ''Andrej Svorad'', Czech: ''Sverad''; German: ''Zoërard'', ...

.Mackenzie, Georgina Muir and Irby, Adelina Paulina. ''Across the Carpathians'', Macmillan, 1862, p. 54
/ref> They lived an austere life in a cave along the Váh River near

Trenčín Trenčín (, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 55,000, which makes it the eighth largest municip ...

, in modern

Skalka nad Váhom Skalka nad Váhom ( hu, Vágsziklás ) is a village and municipality in Trenčín District in the Trenčín Region of north-western Slovakia. History In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1208. Geography The municipality ...

- then part of the

. Andrew died in 1009, but Benedict continued to live in the cave for three years until he was strangled to death in 1012 by a gang of robbers looking for treasure. The thieves dumped his body in the Váh River, but his body was found perfectly preserved a year later. In 1083 his relics were translated to the St. Emmeram's Cathedral in

where they remain to this day. A biography of Benedict and Andrew was written by Maurus, Bishop of Pécs. He was renowned for his piety and strict

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

Feast Day and Veneration

Benedict is venerated especially in Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland, but also in the United States. His feast day is 1 May, but in some calendars he is venerated together with

on 13 June or 17 July.

References

External links

Saint Benedict of Szkalka
at Patron Saints Index
Benedikt av Skalka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict of Szkalka 11th-century Christian saints Medieval Hungarian saints Hungarian Roman Catholic saints Hungarian Benedictines 1012 deaths 10th-century Hungarian people 11th-century Hungarian people Hungarian hermits

Life

Feast Day and Veneration

See also

References

External links