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Monica
was born in North Africa in the fourth century. Although raised
Christian, her parents arranged a marriage with an older man
who turned out to be an alcoholic, hot-headed pagan. To make
matters worse, her decidedly difficult mother-in-law moved in
with them, making miserable Monica turn to drink. Luckily, Monica
also turned to Jesus and was “saved.” She advised
all wives that, “If you can master your tongue, not only
do you run less the risk of being beaten but perhaps you may
even, one day, make your husbands better.” After years
of marriage, she finally converted her husband by crying incessantly.
He died soon after, and was given a Holy burial. Monica was
extremely proud of her son Augustine, who was an accomplished
teacher and scholar, but was deeply shamed by his heretical
beliefs, fits of idleness and “heated fornications.”
The distraught mother begged the local Bishop to reason with
her boy. The Bishop said that Augustine was too set in his ways
of thinking, but comforted her by adding that, “it's not
possible that the son of so many tears should perish.”
The son escaped his mother by agreeing to take her to Rome with
him, then sailing off without her while she was home praying.
She followed him to Rome, and he fled to Milan. There he met
St. Ambrose, who converted and baptized him. Monica arrived
in Milan overjoyed by the news of her son's change of heart,
and they set off back to Africa. But before boarding their ship
in the Port of Ostia, the aged woman revealed her illness, and
said plaintively to her son, “What am I still doing down
here?” and died. Augustine went on to compose the doctrine
(still referred to by the Church) which shaped the papal policy
on birth control. A city in Southern California was named by
Spanish explorers after Monica, because it contains a weeping
rock. Monica is also the patron of married women and housewives;
and she's invoked against alcoholism and infidelity. Her feast
day is August 27. |
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| St.
Monica
Patron St. of
Mothers |
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