Praying for Norcia

The Basilica and Monastery of St Benedict in Norcia, before the earthquake

The Benedictine monks and nuns of Norcia, Italy suffered a devastating loss, as their basilica was destroyed yesterday with a massive 6.6 earthquake. This is the comment the monks shared online: “We, as many others in Norcia and surrounding areas, suffered a lot of damage to our buildings and especially to our basilica. It will take some time to assess the extent of the damage, but it is very sad to see the many beautiful restorations we've made to St. Benedict's birthplace reduced, in a moment, to disrepair. Please, pray for us, for those who have lost their lives, who have lost someone they love, who have lost their homes and livelihoods.”

The Basilica of St. Benedict was located on the traditional birthplace of St. Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica. The façade, the side portal and the lower bell tower dated from the late 14th century. The basilica had a Latin cross plan, with a single nave. The apse and the internal dome dated from the 18th century reconstruction, restored in the 1950s.

What remains of the Basilica after the earthquake Sunday morning

Today the monks of Norcia care for the spiritual, pastoral, and temporal needs of approximately 50,000 pilgrims from around the world who annually visit the birthplace of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica. The monks and nuns have been temporarily relocated at St Anselmo monastery, closer to Rome.

Inside the Basilica, now destroyed

The monks of Norcia crafted beer to support their work, and they made headlines by supplying Birra Nursia to all the cardinals of the papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. Cardinal Ratzinger visited the monastery for the Feast of St. Benedict in 2003, shortly before becoming pope and choosing the name Benedict XVI. This name was chosen in part because of his experience at Norcia and other Benedictine monastic communities.

The earthquake was even stronger than the August one that hit the same region, leaving 300 dead. Thankfully there were no victims this time, but many thousands were left homeless, besides the devastation that the tremors caused in Central Italy.

The same Basilica, before and after the earthquake