You ask us about it often, almost always with a newly received medal in hand: “I’ve been given a Saint Benedict medal, what does it mean?” And also the other way around, when you’re the one who wants to give it as a gift and you don’t know if it’s the right time. We’ll tell you what’s behind this gift and when it makes the most sense to give it.
If you’re already thinking about one, here are all our Saint Benedict medals, designed by us and handmade in Spain.
Khartes Medals
A Saint Benedict medal to give as a gift
Saint Benedict medal with natural pearl€69I want it
Saint Benedict medal with olivine€69I want it
Saint Benedict medal with tiger’s eye€65I want it
Handmade in Spain · Free shipping from €65
What it means when you’re given a Saint Benedict medal
Whoever gives you a Saint Benedict medal is telling you, without words, something like “I want you to be protected” or “I want you to never lack strength.” On one side of the medal is the saint, and on the other is his cross surrounded by the initials of a Latin prayer to ward off evil, which is why it has been worn for centuries as a sign of spiritual protection.
But it’s worth saying clearly: it’s not an amulet. The Church considers it a sacramental, and its meaning lies not in the metal, but in the faith of the person who wears it and in what it reminds them of every time they touch it. That’s why it’s such a beautiful gift: it doesn’t promise luck, it reminds someone they are not alone. If you want to know what each letter says, we explain it in the meaning of the Saint Benedict medal.
A gift with a lot of history
The initials on the cross had been painted in the Abbey of Metten, in Bavaria, for a long time when, in 1647, their meaning was discovered thanks to an ancient manuscript with an image of the saint. Almost a century later, in 1742, Pope Benedict XIV approved the medal. And the design we know today is that of the 1880 Jubilee medal, minted to mark the 1,400th anniversary of Saint Benedict’s birth. If you’d like to learn about the saint, we tell you about him in who Saint Benedict of Nursia was.
Five occasions to give it as a gift
- A birth or a baptism. It is tradition to place the medal in the cradle or keep it for when the child is older. We tell you about that custom in the Saint Benedict medal for babies.
- A confirmation. It is a yes to faith given as an adult, and a medal that will be worn for a lifetime fits very well. You can find more ideas in what to give for a Confirmation.
- A new home or a new job. Tradition has it worn around the neck, but it can also be kept in the home or the car. To start a new chapter, we really like the olivine one, with its fresh green color.
- A long journey or moving far away. For someone going on Erasmus, working abroad, or starting over in another city, it is a way of going “accompanied.”
- A difficult time. An illness, a bereavement, a period of exhaustion. Here, the medal says much more than any phrase.
And it works just as well for her as for him: with pearls it is very delicate, and with tiger’s eye or as a Saint Benedict bracelet, it works very well for a boy.
How to complement the gift
Three details that make it even more special. The first, a handwritten note explaining the reason for the gift: in a few years, that will be what is remembered most. The second, having it blessed; usually, you ask a priest, and we tell you how in should a medal be blessed? The third, giving them the prayer with it, which you can copy from our guide to the Saint Benedict prayer.
If you’re choosing the medal
All our Saint Benedict medals are our own designs, handmade in Spain from zamak with 18K gold plating, with natural pearls or stones, and they come with their chain and wrapped for gifting. They usually arrive in 24–72 hours, a maximum of 5 business days. If you’re torn between models, we’ll help you in the Saint Benedict medal: how to wear it and choose it.
Facts you can check
- The Saint Benedict medal is a sacramental recognized by the Church; its effectiveness does not come from the object, but from Christ and from the disposition of the person who uses it, and it should not be used as an amulet. It can be worn around the neck, on a rosary, in a bag or pocket, in the car, or at home. Source
- In 1647, during a process celebrated near the Abbey of Metten (Bavaria), crosses painted with the initials of the medal were found; an ancient manuscript with an image of Saint Benedict allowed them to be deciphered. Source
- Pope Benedict XIV approved the medal in documents from December 23, 1741, and March 12, 1742. Source
- The Jubilee medal was minted in 1880 to mark the 1,400th anniversary of Saint Benedict’s birth; the Abbey of Montecassino has the exclusive right to mint it. Source
The most beautiful medals in the world are at Khartes.
Marian and Bárbara
The most beautiful medals are at www.khartesmadrid.com