In about 529 he founded the monastery of Monte Cassino.
One of Benedict’s lasting contributions was The Rule of Benedict, which became one of the most important plans for monastic life in the Middle Ages throughout Europe.
One miraculous story is told about an incident that occurred during the construction of a wall which collapsed killing one of the workers. The body was brought to Benedict who knelt down and prayed earnestly over the body and within one hour the worker revived and continued work on the wall.19
Benedict reached out beyond the confines of his monastery and was said to heal their sick, relieved the distress and is said to have raised the dead on more than one occasion.”20
Gregory tells about incidences in his Dialogue about Benedict casting evil spirits out of certain individuals. On one occasion, an evil spirit entered one of the monks and threw him to the ground in a violent convulsion. When Benedict saw what was happening he struck the man on the cheek. The evil spirit immediately left and never returned.21
19. Saint Gregory the Great, Dialogues, vol. 39 The Fathers of the Church, 76-77.
20. Michael Walsh, Butler's Lives of the Saints, 212.
21. Gregory, Dialogues, 98.