Benedict of Szkalka
Benedict of Szkalka or Skalka (10th century –d. 1012), born Stojislav in Nitra (Nyitra), Hungarian Kingdom, was a Benedictine 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 Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and the United States.
Saint Benedict of Szkalka | |
|---|---|
 St. Benedict of Szkalka and St. Andrew Zorard | |
| Born | 10th century Nitra, Kingdom of Hungary (today: Slovakia) |
| Died | 1012 Mount Zobor, Tribeč, Kingdom of Hungary (today: Slovakia) |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church[1] |
| Canonized | 1083 or 1085 by Pope Gregory VII |
| Major shrine | St. Emmeram's Cathedral |
| Feast | 1 May; 13 June or 17 July on some calendars |
| Patronage | Sailors of the Vah River, Diocese of Nitra, Diocese of Tarnów, St. Andrew Abbey in Cleveland, Ss. Andrew & Benedict in Detroit |
Life
Benedict became a monk at the St. Hippolytus Monastery on Mount Zobor near Nyitra (today: Nitra in Slovakia) in the late 10th or early 11th century. He later became a hermit with his fellow saint and spiritual teacher Andrew Zorard.[2] They lived an austere life in a cave along the Vah River near Trenčín in modern Skalka nad Váhom - then part of the Kingdom of Hungary.
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.[1] The thieves dumped his body in the Vah River, but his body was found perfectly preserved a year later. In 1083 his relics were translated to the St. Emmeram's Cathedral in Nitra where they remain to this day. A biography of St. Benedict and St. Andrew was written by St. Maurus, Bishop of Pécs.
He was renowned for his piety and strict asceticism.[1]
Feast Day and Veneration
St. 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 St. Andrew on 13 June or 17 July.
See also
- Saint Benedict of Szkalka, patron saint archive
References
- Phillips, Fr Andrew. "Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome". www.orthodoxengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- Mackenzie, Georgina Muir and Irby, Adelina Paulina. Across the Carpathians, Macmillan, 1862, p. 54
External links
- Saint Benedict of Szkalka at Patron Saints Index
- Benedikt av Skalka (in Norwegian)
