The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee celebrated the feast day of St. Benedict, thanking him for establishing a strong foundation for monasticism.

“Today is the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, the sixth-century abbot who laid a lasting foundation for Christian monasticism in Western Europe,” the diocese posted on social media.

St. Benedict of Nursia was born in Italy around the year 480. Britannica reports that his parents sent him to study in Rome. In that city, Benedict was disturbed by the Roman people's lack of moral restraint. Consequently, he moved into a cave that was about 40 miles away, where lived a spartan lifestyle for three years.

He became famous for his sanctity, and some monks he worked with talked him into becoming the abbot of a monastery, Britannica says. Not everyone liked him, apparently, as someone attempted to poison him, sending him back to his cave. Back in isolation, people who believed in him kept returning to him.

He went on to establish 12 monasteries that would operate under strict rules. Benedict compiled a list of instructions for religious life, laying the groundwork for what is now called the Rule of St. Benedict, which is still used to guide religious life centuries later, according to Catholic.org.

Many of these communities became centers of education for children, the diocese said it its posting, where prayer, work, simplicity and hospitality were traits that were emphasized.

His Rule describes the power of rhetoric in spreading the Gospel and emphasizes the importance of reading and meditating on sacred Scripture. Benedict died soon after his twin sister, St. Scholastica, had passed, Catholic.org says.

Benedict is the patron saint of Europe, schoolchildren, monastics, and poisoning, according to Franciscan Media. His feast day is celebrated each year on July 11.

“St. Benedict, please pray for us!” the diocese said in its posting.