The Saint Benedict Medal: History, Every Symbol Decoded, and How to Use It
Few Catholic sacramentals are as rich in symbolism, as ancient in tradition, or as widely used for spiritual protection as the Medal of St. Benedict. Here is everything you need to know about it.
The St. Benedict medal is a sacramental with exorcism blessings and initials of Latin prayers against evil — worn or placed in homes for protection. St. Benedict (480–547) founded Western monasticism; Rule of St. Benedict shapes religious life; feast July 11.
Walk into any Catholic gift shop in the world, and you will almost certainly find the Medal of Saint Benedict — a round coin bearing a collection of mysterious letters, a cross, and the image of a monk. Yet despite its universal popularity, many Catholics who wear or display it have only a vague idea of what its symbols mean or how to use it properly.
The Medal of St. Benedict is one of the most powerful and ancient sacramentals in the Catholic tradition — an object blessed by the Church to serve as an instrument of grace, protection, and spiritual combat. It is not a magic charm (the Church is clear about this), but a sacramental that, used in faith and with proper blessing, can be a real channel of God's protective power.
Who Was Saint Benedict?
Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–547 AD) is one of the most important figures in the history of Western Christianity. Born to a noble family in Umbria, Italy, he abandoned his education in Rome to live a life of prayer and solitude in a cave at Subiaco. Over time, disciples gathered around him, and he eventually founded the great monastery of Monte Cassino, which became the seedbed of Western monasticism.
His Rule of Saint Benedict — a remarkably practical, humane, and spiritually wise guide for monastic life — became the foundational document of Benedictine monasticism and, through the monasteries that multiplied across Europe, profoundly shaped Western civilization, education, agriculture, and culture. Pope Paul VI declared him the Patron of Europe in 1964. He is celebrated on July 11 in the Western calendar.
St. Gregory the Great, in his Dialogues, records numerous miraculous accounts from Benedict's life — including his confrontations with the devil, his resistance to temptation, and his ability to detect and repel evil. This tradition of spiritual combat is the direct backdrop for the Medal that bears his name.
The History of the Medal
The origins of the Medal of St. Benedict can be traced to a cross bearing inscriptions that was found in association with the saint's image, already in use among Benedictine monks as a protective sacramental in the early medieval period. The specific design of the medal as we know it today — with its systematic arrangement of letters — was definitively settled in 1880, when the Monte Cassino edition was produced to mark the 1,400th anniversary of St. Benedict's birth.
In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV granted a special papal indulgence to those using the medal and confirmed the specific formula of blessing for it — a recognition of the medal's longstanding Catholic use and its effectiveness as a sacramental. The decoding of the mysterious letters on the medal was made possible by a 17th-century manuscript discovered in the Metten Abbey in Bavaria, which provided the key to the abbreviations.
The Medal Decoded: Every Symbol Explained
The Medal of St. Benedict is dense with symbolism. Every letter, image, and inscription has a specific meaning. Here is a complete guide to both the front (obverse) and back (reverse) of the medal.
The Front (Obverse) of the Medal
- The image of Saint Benedict: He holds a cross in his right hand (the symbol of Christianity's victory over evil) and the Rule of Saint Benedict in his left hand (the guide for his monastic community).
- The poisoned cup: At his right side, broken on the ground — symbolizing the attempt of his enemies to poison him. According to legend, the cup shattered when Benedict made the sign of the cross over it.
- The raven: At his left side, with a piece of bread in its beak — symbolizing another attempted poisoning. An enemy sent poisoned bread; a raven, as it often did for Benedict, carried the bread away before he could eat it.
- "CRUX S. PATRIS BENEDICTI" (around the top): "The Cross of Holy Father Benedict."
- "PAX" (on the medal, sometimes): Latin for "peace" — the motto of the Benedictine Order.
The Back (Reverse) of the Medal — The Cross of St. Benedict
The back of the medal is dominated by a large cross with letters inscribed on and around it.
On the Vertical Bar of the Cross:
C S S M L — Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux — "May the Holy Cross be my light."
On the Horizontal Bar of the Cross:
N D S M D — Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux — "Let not the dragon be my guide."
In the four corners of the cross:
C S P B — Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti — "The Cross of Holy Father Benedict."
Surrounding the cross (clockwise from top):
V R S N S M V — S M Q L I V B — Vade Retro Satana, Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana — Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas
"Begone, Satan! Do not suggest to me your vanities — evil are the things you offer — drink the poison yourself."
These letters form the Vade Retro Satana prayer — one of the most ancient and direct exorcistic formulas in Catholic tradition, attributed to Saint Benedict himself in response to a temptation.
The Vade Retro Satana Prayer — Full Text
Begone, Satan!
Do not suggest to me your vanities.
Evil are the things you offer;
Drink the poison yourself.
May the Holy Cross be my light;
Let not the dragon be my guide.
How to Have the Medal Properly Blessed
A medal without blessing is just metal. The Medal of St. Benedict requires a specific blessing by a priest or deacon — not just any general blessing, but the official rite approved by the Church specifically for this medal. It involves a form of minor exorcism over the medal and prayers invoking the protection of St. Benedict.
In practice, you can bring a Medal of St. Benedict to any Catholic priest and ask for the blessing. Many well-catechized priests will be familiar with the specific rite; if not, you can ask that they use the rite contained in the Rituale Romanum.
Purchasing a "pre-blessed" medal online is questionable. A blessing is an act performed in person by an ordained minister — it cannot be transferred by mail. If in doubt, have your medal blessed by a priest in person.
How Catholics Use the St. Benedict Medal
- Wearing it as a necklace or on a bracelet. This is the most common form — keeping the medal on one's person as a constant sacramental protection and as a reminder to resist temptation.
- Attaching it to a rosary. Many Catholics integrate the St. Benedict medal into their Rosary as an additional sacramental.
- Placing it in the home. Burying or placing blessed St. Benedict medals at the threshold of a home, in the walls, or near the entrance is a centuries-old tradition for invoking God's protection over a household.
- Placing it in a car. For protection while traveling.
- Using it during prayer for those struggling with addiction or spiritual attacks. Many chaplains and spiritual directors recommend the medal for those fighting severe temptations or apparent spiritual oppression.
The Medal's Feast Day and Where to Get One
The feast of Saint Benedict is celebrated on July 11 in the Roman Rite (and March 21 in older calendars). This is a particularly appropriate time to begin using the medal or to renew devotion to Saint Benedict.
Genuine St. Benedict medals are widely available from Catholic religious goods stores, Benedictine monasteries, and reputable online Catholic retailers. The medals come in many styles — gold, silver, pewter, wood — and in various sizes. The key is to have any medal blessed by a priest before use.
"Ora et Labora" — Pray and Work.
— Motto of Saint Benedict and the Benedictine Order