This is a statue of Saint Scholastica, sister, perhaps twin sister, of Saint Benedict. The statue is in a side altar of Saint Benedict Catholic Church, Richmond, Virginia, whose priest has now joined the blogosphere!
We don’t know a lot about Saint Scholastica, but this story about her is wonderful. Click through, choose Office of Readings, scroll to the Second Reading, and read it all, and then the beautiful Responsory.
From the books of Dialogues by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
‘When she heard her brother refuse her request, the holy woman joined her hands on the table, laid her head on them and began to pray. As she raised her head from the table, there were such brilliant flashes of lightning, such great peals of thunder and such a heavy downpour of rain that neither Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold of the place where they had been seated. Sadly he began to complain: “May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?” “Well,” she answered, “I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and he did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your monastery.”
RESPONSORY
When the saintly nun begged the Lord that her brother might not leave her,
– she received more than her brother did from the Lord of her heart because she loved him so much.
How good, how delightful it is for brothers and sisters to live in unity.
– She received more than her brother did from the Lord of her heart because she loved him so much. ‘
Forma Fidei 