Saint Monica

Mother and Widow

In 322 AD, Saint Monica was born in the town of and weep for her son. She was consoled by a local Bishop Thagaste in Northern Africa. Although a devout who told her that the child of her tears would never perish. Christian, she was arranged to be married at a young age Monica would later receive a vision, showing her and her to Patricius Aurelius. Patricius was an official in son apart, but indicating that one day, he would be Thagaste, and a member of the honestiores, an upper class standing where she was. Monica continued to persevere of citizenship known also as the honorable men, his own in prayer for her son. family having been made Roman citizens over a hundred Augustine eventually left to return to Carthage, years beforehand. Like his mother, he had a bad temper and with both her children strong in their faith, Monica and was not faithful to his own marriage. In part due to was free to pursue Augustine, his lover and their son. Monica’s patience and kindness, Patricius was still said to While Monica was in Carthage, she would bring porridge, have always held Monica in respect, even if her alms, bread, water and wine to oratories erected in memory of prayers and general dedication to her faith annoyed him. the Saints. One day however, she found with Augustine’s Although they may have had more children, lover and son that Augustine had disappeared. She finally Monica and Patricius had three children that survived learned that he was in Rome, but by the time she arrived infancy whom they named Augustine, Navigius and there, he had already left for Milan, having accepted the Perpetua. When the eldest, Augustine fell ill, Monica highest academic office in the empire. As if in answer to begged Patricius to allow him to be baptized. Patricius her prayers, as he had left Rome, he had also left agreed, but when Augustine recovered, he withdrew his Manichaeism. consent. When Monica rejoined Augustine in Milan, she Monica was heartily dedicated to her faith to such began offering the same alms to the church there, but the a strong degree that it seemed that her example would local Bishop Ambrose told her that she should not offer overcome the poor and even contrary example of her the wine, as it was an occasion to sin for those who were husband. Although there is no sign that Navigius and addicted to the drink. Ambrose became quick friends Perpetua rejected the faith, Monica would become with Augustine, who admired Ambrose as a fellow overcome with anxiety when her eldest, Augustine, began scholar and rhetorician, as well as a kind man. to waste his life on frivolity and slothfulness. Augustine In Milan, Monica managed to arrange a match for was lazy, and when he was send to Madauros became Augustine to befit his station, and as a result he sent his delinquent. Augustine became interested in studying lover away. As he could not marry his intended match for rhetoric, but Patricius and Monica could not afford to send two years, he fell back into his hedonistic ways, praying him to Carthage to study. It was only with the help of a to God to give him chastity, but not yet. After another fellow Roman Citizen, Romanianus, which afforded them several years of prayer, Augustine was finally won over the ability to send Augustine to study. Monica attempted by Ambrose, his mother, and the faith, and he was to warn Augustine against the temptations in Carthage, baptized along with his son Adeodatus. but he ignored her. With all her children in the faith, Monica spent In 372, she found that Augustine had begun a the next six months peacefully with Augustine and relationship with either a slave or lower-class woman. Adeodatus in Milan. Afterward, Augustine resolved to She opposed the relationship on grounds of their status, return to Thagaste with Monica and Adeodatus where he but Augustine insisted on remaining in this relationship, would be with his siblings again. During the trip, they believing it to be the same as marriage. Around this time, passed through the town of Ostia near Rome, where Patricius became very ill. While tending to her husband Monica passed away in the year 387. on his deathbed, Patricius expressed the desire to become Due to her struggles, Saint Monica is the patron Catholic, where he was baptized before his death. saint of married women, difficult marriages, Sometime afterward, inspired by Monica and her own disappointing children, and the victims of adultery, son’s conversion, Patricus’ mother who had been know unfaithfulness, and abuse. Her feast day is August 27th. for the same temperament as her son converted to Catholicism as well. Soon after his fathers passing, Augustine returned to Thagaste with his lover and his son Adeodatus in order to teach grammar. When Augustine revealed to Monica that he had become a Manichean, a follower of the Persian prophet Mani from the third century, she drove him out of her home. Monica, overcome with sorrow, began to pray