St. Monica: Patron Saint of Mothers and Patient Prayer
Quick answer
St. Monica (about 331–387) was a North African Christian wife and mother. Married to a hot-tempered pagan, Patricius, she won him to the faith by her patience. For years she prayed and wept for her brilliant son Augustine, who had left the faith, and she lived to see him baptized by St. Ambrose in 387. She died soon after at Ostia. Her feast is August 27, the day before her son's.
Key takeaways
- Almost everything we know about her comes from her son's Confessions.
- Her patience and prayer led her husband to be baptized before his death.
- A bishop told her that the son of so many tears could not be lost.
- She died at Ostia, near Rome, shortly after Augustine's baptism.
Many parents and grandparents know the ache of a child who has drifted from the Church. St. Monica knew it for seventeen years. Her story is one of the most consoling in the lives of the saints.
A Difficult Marriage
Monica was born around 331 in Thagaste, in what is now Algeria, to a Christian family. She was married young to Patricius, a pagan with a quick temper. Augustine tells us that she never answered his anger with anger, but waited until he was calm to speak. Other wives in town, with bruises from their husbands, marveled at her peace. By her patience and goodness, Patricius was baptized before he died.
Tears for Augustine
Her oldest son, Augustine, was brilliant and restless. As a young man he gave up the faith, joined the Manichaean sect, and lived with a woman outside of marriage. Monica wept and prayed for him without ceasing.
She begged a bishop to talk to Augustine. The bishop, who had once been a Manichaean himself, said it was no use yet and sent her away with words that became famous: the son of these tears could not perish (Confessions III.12).
Following Him to Italy
When Augustine sailed for Rome, he slipped away without her. She followed him to Milan, where he came under the influence of the great bishop St. Ambrose. At last, in 386, Augustine was converted, and on Easter night 387 Ambrose baptized him.
Ostia
On the way home to Africa, mother and son waited at the port of Ostia. Standing at a window overlooking a garden, they spoke together of eternal life, and Augustine describes a moment when both seemed to touch heaven (Confessions IX.10). A few days later Monica fell ill. She told her sons not to worry about where she was buried, but to remember her at the altar of the Lord wherever they were. She died at about fifty-six.
A Prayer for a Child Who Has Left the Faith (Original Prayer)
St. Monica, you never stopped praying for your son. I place in your hands my child (name). Give me patience, hope and gentle words, and pray that he, or she, will come home to Christ. Amen.
Continue Reading
Read the story of her son, St. Augustine of Hippo, and of St. Ambrose, who baptized him.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Monica?
August 27.
What is St. Monica the patron saint of?
Mothers, wives, and those praying for children or spouses who have left the faith. She is also a patron of patience.
Where is St. Monica buried?
Her relics are in the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Rome.
Sources
- St. Augustine, Confessions, Books III and IX
- Roman Missal, Memorial of St. Monica, August 27
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