St Scholastica: Patron Saint of Bossy Sisters

The Benedictine window at Norwich Cathedral

I'm fond of St Scholastica for three reasons: 1) as a scholar, for her name; 2) as a sister, for her relationship with St Benedict; 3) as a fan of the Chalet School, for being a patron of one of the school houses. Three good reasons, I think. St Scholastica was commemorated on 10 February in medieval England from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards, as her association with St Benedict (and appearance in Gregory's Dialogues) would lead one to expect. This site has a Middle English life of St Scholastica, and a useful overview of her legend.

This is how Ælfric tells the story about her, in his homily on St Benedict:

Se halga wer hæfde ane eawfæste swustor, Scolastica gehaten, seo wæs fram cildhade Gode gehalgod, on mægðhade him ðeowigende, on gehendnysse his mynstres wunigende; þa geneosode se halga wer symle æne ymbe geares ymbrene. Þa gecom he sume dæge to hyre cytan æfter gewunan mid sumum his gebroðrum, and hi ealne ðone dæg on Godes herungum and halgum spræcum adrugon. Efne ða on æfnunge, ðaða hi æt gereorde sæton, cwæð þæt halige mæden to hire arwurðfullan breðer, "Ic bidde ðe, broðer min, ne forlæt ðu me on þissere nihte, þæt wit magon smeagan ymbe gefean þæs heofenlican lifes oð merigen." Ða andwyrde se arwurða broðor, "Hwaet cweðst þu, sweoster? Ne mæg ic nateshwon buton mynstre nihtes wunian." And wæs ða swa stille weder, þæt nan wolcn næs on ðære lyfte gesewen. Hwæt ða, seo mynecynu, ðaða heo his andsæc gehyrde, beclypte hire neb mid handum, and ahylde hire heafod to ðære mysan, biddende þone Ælmihtigan Drihten. Þa mid ðam ðe heo hire heafod of ðære mysan ahefde, ða abærst swa micel ðunor and liget, and swilc storm yðigende feoll, swa þæt se halga wer and his gebroðra ne mihton, for ðam ormætan gyte, heora fet of ðære cytan astyrian. Ða cwæð se halga wer to his sweoster, "Arie ðe se Ælmihtiga God, sweoster: hwæt hæfst þu gedon?" Heo andwyrde, "Efne ic bæd þe, and þu me noldest tiðian; ða bæd ic minne Drihten, and he me gehyrde. Gang nu to mynstre, gif ðu mage, and me ana forlæt." He ða ne mihte buton ðam hrofe acuman, ac ðær wunode þa niht unwilles, seðe sylfwilles nolde. And hi ealle ða niht mid halgum spræcum þæs gastlican lifes ðurhwacole aspendon.

Eft siððan ymbe ðry dagas stod se halga wer on his gebedum, and beseah ut, and geseah ðære ylcan mynecene his sweoster sawle lædan to heofenan, on anre culfran hiwe. He ða hire wuldres blissigende, ðam Ælmihtigan Gode þancode, and hire forðsið his gebroðrum cyðde, and sende hi ðærrihte, þæt hi hire lic to mynstre feredon, and on his agenre byrgene, þær he sylf licgan wolde, mid arwurðnysse bebyrigdon; þæt heora lichaman on anre byrgene hi gereston, swa swa heora mod on annysse symle Gode ðeowode.

I love this story! Here's my translation of Ælfric (who is himself closely translating St Gregory):

The holy man had a pious sister named Scholastica, who was from childhood consecrated to God, serving Him in virginity and living near His monastery. The holy man always visited her once in the course of the year. One day he came to her cell, according to his custom, with some of his fellow monks, and they spent the whole day in the praise of God and in holy discourse. Then in the evening, when they were sitting at their meal, the holy maiden said to her venerable brother, "I ask you, my brother, not to leave me tonight, so that we may talk together about the joys of the heavenly life until morning." The venerable man answered, "What are you saying, sister? I cannot for any reason be away from the monastery at night." And at that moment there was such calm weather that not a cloud could be seen in the sky; but then the nun, when she heard his refusal, covered her face with her hands and bowed her head to the table, praying to the Almighty Lord. Then, when she raised her head from the table, there burst forth such great thunder and lightening, and such a surging storming fell, that the holy man and his brothers could not stir their feet from the cell because of the immense downpour. Then the holy man said to his sister, "Almighty God have mercy on you, sister! What have you done?" She answered, "Well, I asked you, and you would not grant my request; so I asked my Lord, and he heard me. Go to the monastery now, if you can, and leave me here alone." But he could not go out from under that shelter, and stayed there that night – unwillingly, since he would not stay willingly. And they spent all that night, thoroughly awake, in holy discourse about the spiritual life.

Three days later, the holy man was standing at his prayers, and he looked out, and saw the soul of that same nun his sister being led to heaven in the form of a dove. Rejoicing in her glory, he thanked Almighty God, and told his brothers of her death. He straightaway sent them to bring her body to the monastery and bury her in his own tomb, where he intended to lie himself, with great honour; so that their bodies might rest in one grave, just as their minds, with one thought, had always served God.