Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
Shocked by the licentiousness of Rome, he "lived as a hermit in a cave at Subiaco, east of Rome. After three years, the fame of his sanctity drew him out into the world again and he became abbot of a nearby monastery. Disciples flocked to him, and he founded twelve further monasteries, each with twelve monks. A disagreement with a neighboring priest persuaded him to move to Monte Cassino. . . . In Cassino, Benedict developed the cenobitic tradition of monasticism, which emphasized a communal life and family spirit among monks. . . . The Rule of St. Benedict became the basis of monastic life throughout western Christendom." [1001 Days] "Benedict of Nursia (…) is a Christian saint, who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion and Old Catholic Churches. He is a patron saint of Europe." [Wikipedia]