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St. Benedict: Hero of the Hills
Mary Fabyan Windeatt presents the powerful story of the famous life and miracles of St. Benedict for the Vision Book series of saints for youth. Known as the Father of Western Monasticism, St. Benedict played a major role in the Christinization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century. Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, Benedict founded an order for monks whose strong life of prayer and work helped convert the godless society around them. It tells how his Benedictine order of monks spread throughout Europe and the New World. The heroic life of his sister St. Scholastica, his saving a boy from drowning, raising one from the dead, and the story of poisoned wine are all told in this exciting, dramatic tale of a great saint. Illustrated. Cover art by Chris Pelicano This book is now part of Renaissance Learning's Accelerated Reader program . Quizzes are currently available.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Mary Fabyan Windeatt
101 books24 followersMary Fabyan Windeatt was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1910. Interested in music as a child, she received a degree in music from Toronto Conservatory of Music at the age of fifteen and a further degree in music from Mount Saint Vincent College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1927. This same year she moved with her family to San Diego, California, graduating from San Diego State College in 1934 with a degree in business.
She moved to New York to seek employment in the field of advertising but was unsuccessful. With time on her hands, she began to write and in 1934, she sent a story, which was accepted for publication, to a Catholic magazine. She continued to write while pursuing her studies, graduating in 1940 with a master’s degree from Columbia University.
Miss Windeatt eventually contributed verse, book reviews, short stories, and articles to thirty-three different publications and wrote numerous biographies of saints for children. The first biography, Saints in the Sky, The Story of St. Catherine of Siena, was published in 1941. Considerable research went into her books; for example, she traveled to Peru in the summer of 1941 prior to publishing Lad of Lima, The Story of Blessed Martin de Porres in 1942. (St. Martin de Porres was canonized a saint in 1962.) In addition to her biographies, she also wrote the text for twenty-eight Catholic coloring books and was a regular contributor to the monthly Dominican magazine The Torch in which many of her books originally appeared in serial form. A third-order (secular) Dominican, she has been called the “storyteller of the saints”—especially Dominican saints.
Later in life, Miss Windeatt moved near St. Meinrad’s Abbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana with her mother. She died on November 20, 1979.
Under their original titles, the series of saint biographies that Mary Fabyan Windeatt wrote in the 1940’s and 1950’s are currently out of print. However between 1991 and 1994, Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. republished twenty of these saint biographies.
Rich in Roman Catholic culture and doctrine, these books illustrate to both children and adults how the Faith was lived every day by the saints; they inspire us to know, love, and serve God as the saints did. Mary Fabyan Windeatt had the ability to relate much factual information about each saint while seasoning the narrative with the doctrinal truths they lived. While each saint shines forth in these books, these writings also reveal to us Ms. Windeatt’s own strong Catholic beliefs; her faith too lives on.
She moved to New York to seek employment in the field of advertising but was unsuccessful. With time on her hands, she began to write and in 1934, she sent a story, which was accepted for publication, to a Catholic magazine. She continued to write while pursuing her studies, graduating in 1940 with a master’s degree from Columbia University.
Miss Windeatt eventually contributed verse, book reviews, short stories, and articles to thirty-three different publications and wrote numerous biographies of saints for children. The first biography, Saints in the Sky, The Story of St. Catherine of Siena, was published in 1941. Considerable research went into her books; for example, she traveled to Peru in the summer of 1941 prior to publishing Lad of Lima, The Story of Blessed Martin de Porres in 1942. (St. Martin de Porres was canonized a saint in 1962.) In addition to her biographies, she also wrote the text for twenty-eight Catholic coloring books and was a regular contributor to the monthly Dominican magazine The Torch in which many of her books originally appeared in serial form. A third-order (secular) Dominican, she has been called the “storyteller of the saints”—especially Dominican saints.
Later in life, Miss Windeatt moved near St. Meinrad’s Abbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana with her mother. She died on November 20, 1979.
Under their original titles, the series of saint biographies that Mary Fabyan Windeatt wrote in the 1940’s and 1950’s are currently out of print. However between 1991 and 1994, Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. republished twenty of these saint biographies.
Rich in Roman Catholic culture and doctrine, these books illustrate to both children and adults how the Faith was lived every day by the saints; they inspire us to know, love, and serve God as the saints did. Mary Fabyan Windeatt had the ability to relate much factual information about each saint while seasoning the narrative with the doctrinal truths they lived. While each saint shines forth in these books, these writings also reveal to us Ms. Windeatt’s own strong Catholic beliefs; her faith too lives on.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 20, 2024
Reading this marks the sixteenth work I have read in the Vision Books for Young Readers Series, 13 in the currently in print books from Ignatius Press and three of the older out of print volumes. This one is book 35 in the original series. A few years back I did some research on the Vision Books for Young Readers and from the books I have read can state that they are great reads for teens, young adults and adults. This was another excellent read and I understand that Ignatius has several other titles in the work to expand the series. It is also the third that I have read by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. But let us return to this specific volume. The description of the book is:
The description of this book states:
“Mary Fabyan Windeatt presents the powerful story of the famous life and miracles of St. Benedict for the Vision Book series of saints for youth. Known as the Father of Western Monasticism, St. Benedict played a major role in the Christinization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century.
Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, Benedict founded an order for monks whose strong life of prayer and work helped convert the godless society around them. It tells how his Benedictine order of monks spread throughout Europe and the New World. The heroic life of his sister St. Scholastica, his saving a boy from drowning, raising one from the dead, and the story of poisoned wine are all told in this exciting, dramatic tale of a great saint.”
The author has another volume called Saint Benedict - The Story of the Father of the Western Monks that is part of a different series but on the same topic. The chapters in this volume are:
1. The Boy Who Ran Away
2. A New Work
3. The Father
4. Wonders by the Water
5. The Enemy Strikes
6. Man of the Mountain
7. The Way of Peace
8. Distant Harvest
9. Father of the Poor
10. The Sword of Sorrow
11. The Passing Years
12. The End of the Road
13. The Work Continues
Authors Note
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume, some of them are:
“CYRILLA WAS WORRIED. Young Master Benedict, whose parents had sent him to study in the schools of Rome, was losing interest in his work. Only last night he had said that he didn't want to be a leader in law or politics. He wanted only to be a hermit in a cave.”
“Benedict smiled. ''I'm seventeen", he said gently. "Boys that age are old enough to go to war, even to marry. But I ... I just want to serve God. Surely you can understand that?"”
“It was a few days later that Benedict and Cyrilla left Rome and headed eastward into the hill country. They had no real destination, save that the boy still had his mind set on living in a cave. When they had gone far enough, he said, they would surely come across some such place.”
“It's going to be a wonderful life! he thought. I won't have to worry about being a success in the world, only about getting to heaven and praying that all my friends and relatives get there, too.”
“I DID NOT TAKE LONG for Romanus to discover that Benedict was really in earnest about being a hermit. Finally he agreed to take the boy to a cave and to give him a garment like his own, a rough tunic made of sheepskins.”
“As time passed Benedict grew strong and hardy. His cave was open to the weather, but he learned how to protect himself from rain and cold. Romanus was faithful, too, coming regularly from his monastery with food. All in all, the boy had no regrets for having left the busy streets of Rome. Had he not learned many things in his cave that he would never have learned in school?
"Lord, keep on teaching me", he often prayed. "Let me know more about you so that I may love you more. And show me how to pray well!"”
“The peasants went away, filled with much admiration for their new friend. Repeatedly they told their wives and children about the hermit of Subiaco.”
“To Benedict, time was merely something whereby he could continue giving himself to God in prayer and sacrifice.”
“Benedict was silent. Although it was hard to admit it even to himself, he had often been bothered by that very thought. This quiet life of a hermit with so few human worries-was it fair that he should know such peace while millions of his fellowmen struggled to earn a living in the world? While young men died in battle? While children went ignorant of the truths of religion?”
“Benedict knew what was going on behind his back, and his heart ached. The few rules he had made were not too hard. He himself willingly kept them, but these monks were lazy. When the bell sounded for prayers, many did not bother to come to the chapel. They did not feel like praying, they said. They would pray tomorrow.”
“As time passed, word of what was taking place at Subiaco spread far and wide. Other peasants came to join the venture, to become members of Benedict's family. Once entered upon the peaceful life of prayer and work, few felt the urge to leave it. The original number of twelve monks gradually increased, so that it was necessary to erect many more buildings. These were plain wooden shelters, sufficient only to provide protection from the rain and snow. Each housed twelve men, with a leader or abbot in command.”
“Those who bad visited Subiaco were quick to reply that Benedict's monastery was no ordinary one. He required his followers to till the soil, to work with their hands at humble tasks. He required them to foster charity in their hearts and obedience. By that time there were twelve wooden monasteries, each presided over by an abbot, built within a radius of two miles from Subiaco. From his own little monastery, dedicated to Saint Clement, Benedict watched over the welfare of the entire colony.”
“It was true. Benedict continually preached the gospel of peace. He insisted it could be found by every earnest soul through prayer and work. As a result, everyone at Subiaco came to see that the Father Abbot was a very wise man.”
“During the thirty years he had lived at Subiaco, first as a hermit and later as abbot, he had preached the beauty of peace. He had taught men to throw away their swords and to cultivate the peaceful arts. He had given his monastic family a special motto: "Turn away from evil and do good. Seek after peace and pursue it." Why should he forget his own words now?”
“Even Rome, the great city that once had ruled the world, was in a state of decay. Everywhere greedy men watched their neighbors slyly, hoping for a chance to seize power for themselves. Only a handful of Christians bothered to think of the Ten Commandments. In truth, it was a sad hour for civilization.”
“Sabinus sighed. "What fools men are! Why can't they see that peace is the secret of happiness? Good friend, you have put things well in your Rule. 'Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.' What wise words those are!"”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this series. I have yet to read a book in this series that did not inspire, encourage and challenge me. This is an inspiring life of one of the most known saints. It shoes his triumphs, his sorrows. His victories and his struggles. It is an easy text to engage with. It can be read to younger children and older children, teens and adults can easily read the volume.
My two youngest both teenagers enjoy them, I am in my fifties and I love them, those Ignatius brought back in print, the new expansions from them of the series, and the originals I can lay my hands on that Ignatius has not licensed. This is an wonder book in a excellent series. They would be great additions to any home, school, or church library. An excellent volume I can easily recommend!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
The description of this book states:
“Mary Fabyan Windeatt presents the powerful story of the famous life and miracles of St. Benedict for the Vision Book series of saints for youth. Known as the Father of Western Monasticism, St. Benedict played a major role in the Christinization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century.
Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, Benedict founded an order for monks whose strong life of prayer and work helped convert the godless society around them. It tells how his Benedictine order of monks spread throughout Europe and the New World. The heroic life of his sister St. Scholastica, his saving a boy from drowning, raising one from the dead, and the story of poisoned wine are all told in this exciting, dramatic tale of a great saint.”
The author has another volume called Saint Benedict - The Story of the Father of the Western Monks that is part of a different series but on the same topic. The chapters in this volume are:
1. The Boy Who Ran Away
2. A New Work
3. The Father
4. Wonders by the Water
5. The Enemy Strikes
6. Man of the Mountain
7. The Way of Peace
8. Distant Harvest
9. Father of the Poor
10. The Sword of Sorrow
11. The Passing Years
12. The End of the Road
13. The Work Continues
Authors Note
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume, some of them are:
“CYRILLA WAS WORRIED. Young Master Benedict, whose parents had sent him to study in the schools of Rome, was losing interest in his work. Only last night he had said that he didn't want to be a leader in law or politics. He wanted only to be a hermit in a cave.”
“Benedict smiled. ''I'm seventeen", he said gently. "Boys that age are old enough to go to war, even to marry. But I ... I just want to serve God. Surely you can understand that?"”
“It was a few days later that Benedict and Cyrilla left Rome and headed eastward into the hill country. They had no real destination, save that the boy still had his mind set on living in a cave. When they had gone far enough, he said, they would surely come across some such place.”
“It's going to be a wonderful life! he thought. I won't have to worry about being a success in the world, only about getting to heaven and praying that all my friends and relatives get there, too.”
“I DID NOT TAKE LONG for Romanus to discover that Benedict was really in earnest about being a hermit. Finally he agreed to take the boy to a cave and to give him a garment like his own, a rough tunic made of sheepskins.”
“As time passed Benedict grew strong and hardy. His cave was open to the weather, but he learned how to protect himself from rain and cold. Romanus was faithful, too, coming regularly from his monastery with food. All in all, the boy had no regrets for having left the busy streets of Rome. Had he not learned many things in his cave that he would never have learned in school?
"Lord, keep on teaching me", he often prayed. "Let me know more about you so that I may love you more. And show me how to pray well!"”
“The peasants went away, filled with much admiration for their new friend. Repeatedly they told their wives and children about the hermit of Subiaco.”
“To Benedict, time was merely something whereby he could continue giving himself to God in prayer and sacrifice.”
“Benedict was silent. Although it was hard to admit it even to himself, he had often been bothered by that very thought. This quiet life of a hermit with so few human worries-was it fair that he should know such peace while millions of his fellowmen struggled to earn a living in the world? While young men died in battle? While children went ignorant of the truths of religion?”
“Benedict knew what was going on behind his back, and his heart ached. The few rules he had made were not too hard. He himself willingly kept them, but these monks were lazy. When the bell sounded for prayers, many did not bother to come to the chapel. They did not feel like praying, they said. They would pray tomorrow.”
“As time passed, word of what was taking place at Subiaco spread far and wide. Other peasants came to join the venture, to become members of Benedict's family. Once entered upon the peaceful life of prayer and work, few felt the urge to leave it. The original number of twelve monks gradually increased, so that it was necessary to erect many more buildings. These were plain wooden shelters, sufficient only to provide protection from the rain and snow. Each housed twelve men, with a leader or abbot in command.”
“Those who bad visited Subiaco were quick to reply that Benedict's monastery was no ordinary one. He required his followers to till the soil, to work with their hands at humble tasks. He required them to foster charity in their hearts and obedience. By that time there were twelve wooden monasteries, each presided over by an abbot, built within a radius of two miles from Subiaco. From his own little monastery, dedicated to Saint Clement, Benedict watched over the welfare of the entire colony.”
“It was true. Benedict continually preached the gospel of peace. He insisted it could be found by every earnest soul through prayer and work. As a result, everyone at Subiaco came to see that the Father Abbot was a very wise man.”
“During the thirty years he had lived at Subiaco, first as a hermit and later as abbot, he had preached the beauty of peace. He had taught men to throw away their swords and to cultivate the peaceful arts. He had given his monastic family a special motto: "Turn away from evil and do good. Seek after peace and pursue it." Why should he forget his own words now?”
“Even Rome, the great city that once had ruled the world, was in a state of decay. Everywhere greedy men watched their neighbors slyly, hoping for a chance to seize power for themselves. Only a handful of Christians bothered to think of the Ten Commandments. In truth, it was a sad hour for civilization.”
“Sabinus sighed. "What fools men are! Why can't they see that peace is the secret of happiness? Good friend, you have put things well in your Rule. 'Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.' What wise words those are!"”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this series. I have yet to read a book in this series that did not inspire, encourage and challenge me. This is an inspiring life of one of the most known saints. It shoes his triumphs, his sorrows. His victories and his struggles. It is an easy text to engage with. It can be read to younger children and older children, teens and adults can easily read the volume.
My two youngest both teenagers enjoy them, I am in my fifties and I love them, those Ignatius brought back in print, the new expansions from them of the series, and the originals I can lay my hands on that Ignatius has not licensed. This is an wonder book in a excellent series. They would be great additions to any home, school, or church library. An excellent volume I can easily recommend!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
January 1, 2025
I found St. Benedict on a little free library shelf, and picked it up out of curiosity. I'm vaguely interested in the lives of the saints. Who were they? When did they live? Did they really perform miracles? But however curious I might be, I'm not up for reading heavy duty tomes laced with theology. YA books are perfect for the purpose of answering the basic questions.
Benedict was the son of a wealthy Fifth Century Roman family whose first wish was to be a hermit. His elderly servant, a woman named Cyrilla, insisted on accompanying him into the wilderness. Cyrilla, bless her soul, soon lost interest in this project, but took up residence in a nearby town where she could take Benedict food. Benedict eventually gave up hermit hood, since a hermit was essentially a beggar who lived off the charity of others.
He established the monastery at Monte Cassino, the site of a famous battle during World War II, and developed the Rule of Saint Benedict, which was a blueprint for holy orders. Apparently , in those days, life in monasteries was not always well regulated. Benedict took care of that. Apparently, again, he did perform miracles, saving a boy from drowning, etc. Remember, this is a book for young people, so the author made up conversations, which is frowned upon nowadays by the writers of history for the young.
If you want to know who St. Benedict was and have limited time or patience for the job, this book will tell you about him, and you can read it in a few hours.
Benedict was the son of a wealthy Fifth Century Roman family whose first wish was to be a hermit. His elderly servant, a woman named Cyrilla, insisted on accompanying him into the wilderness. Cyrilla, bless her soul, soon lost interest in this project, but took up residence in a nearby town where she could take Benedict food. Benedict eventually gave up hermit hood, since a hermit was essentially a beggar who lived off the charity of others.
He established the monastery at Monte Cassino, the site of a famous battle during World War II, and developed the Rule of Saint Benedict, which was a blueprint for holy orders. Apparently , in those days, life in monasteries was not always well regulated. Benedict took care of that. Apparently, again, he did perform miracles, saving a boy from drowning, etc. Remember, this is a book for young people, so the author made up conversations, which is frowned upon nowadays by the writers of history for the young.
If you want to know who St. Benedict was and have limited time or patience for the job, this book will tell you about him, and you can read it in a few hours.
March 20, 2024
This was a wonderful saint study for my kids aged 8-9. They were really inspired by his example of "Ora et Labora" (prayer and work). We are also studying Latin and the Roman empire, so this book just happened to fit right in. This book explains why St. Benedict is considered the "Father of Western Monasticism" and is based in 500 AD, just after the collapse of the Roman empire when Christianity is still young in Italy. The story begins with him running away from his school in Rome to become a hermit. It ends with his death in 547.
October 15, 2019
Very inspiring, he was a very holy man.
April 14, 2025
This is a straightforward, comprehensive children's fiction-biography of the great St. Benedict. my 8yo son and I read it together.
August 21, 2009
I'm certain I can't add much to any review of this book. We just finished this as our read aloud. The kids were riveted! It's just so well written and has deepened our family's love and devotion to St. Benedict! There were some very helpful and timely illustrations of obedience in the story that I continue to use in my arsenal! Lovely book!
Read
April 7, 2012This was probably a little advanced for Bella but she really wanted to read it. She wanted to know more details about his life than were in the Kathleen Norris/Tomie de Paola picture book. I'm pretty sure all the historical context was lost on her but she did enjoy many of the details of the saint's life.
May 27, 2014
I love Vision Books. These are fantastic short reads where you can learn so much about Catholic heroes.
February 28, 2024
This book was inspiring to read
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews