What we see today, at Monte Cassino, was not what awaited Benedict and his companions.
What was once a fertile landscape, due to years of attacks by the Goths and neglect by the natives, was now a slimy, dank, pesthole riddled with malaria.
The town had once been an important village, but having been destroyed and pillaged
by the Goths, those inhabitants, who had remained or survived the assaults, had lapsed into paganism (if ever they had rejected it). Benedict, finding them worshipping idols in a temple dedicated to Apollo, high on the hills of Montecassino, immediately set out to fast for forty days.
Then he began preaching to all who would listen; and listen they did; and before you knew it, what with the miracles they could see with their own eyes, the people of the village were converted to Christ and His message.
Not only that, but they helped Benedict tear down and destroy the temple, along with its idols.
As it is and always has been with the Church, upon the ruins of the pagan temple, Benedict built two chapels.
From them, would rise, building by building, the great and most famous Abbey the world has ever known. It is believed that Benedict arrived at Montecassino in and laid the foundation of the original chapels some time around the year 0.
The poet Marco wrote that Benedict built the long road to the Abbey, assisted by two Angels and accompanied by three ravens.
The first chapel, Benedict dedicated to St. Martin - Bishop of Tours - “Soldier Saint” of the 4th Century.
Then Benedict built a small chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
While on Pilgrimage at Montecassino we will take a tour of the Monastery including the tombs of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica under the main altar.
I remember the day we were given permission to tape there thanks to the efforts of our local abbot Jerome Kodell at Subiaco Arkansas.
We were allowed to tape in the oldest part of the Monastery.
