Miracle Prayer for Our Children to St. Monica
Exemplary Mother of the
great St. Augustine,
You perseveringly pursued
your wayward son
not with wild threats
but with prayerful cries
to Heaven.
Intercede for all mothers
in our day so that they may
learn to draw their children
to God.
Teach them how to remain
close to their children,
even the prodigal sons and
daughters who have sadly
gone astray. Amen.
About Saint Monica
Saint Monica, the mother of St. Augustine was born in Northern Africa in the year 333 AD. She was married early in life to a pagan official. His mother lived with them and that was hard on Monica because they both had bad tempers. They had three children together of which Augustine was the eldest, Navigius was another son, and Perpetua was the daughter. At first her husband did not consent to have their children baptized.
Through her patience and prayers, her husband and his mother finally converted to the Catholic faith in the year 370. He died shortly after his conversion and Monica refused to marry again. Her two younger children then were free to enter the religious life and did so. However, her son Augustine was much more difficult. He had become a heretic. She was very distraught and continued to pray and weep for him for 17 years. She constantly asked clergy to pray for him with her, to a point that they would try to avoid her because of her persistence at this seemingly hopeless endeavor. A certain Holy Bishop consoled her by telling her “It is not possible that the son of so many tears shall perish.” Monica even pursued Augustine to Rome, but when she arrived he had left to Milan.
She kept following, and in Milan found St. Ambrose. It was through him she was able to finally see Augustine convert and be baptized by St. Ambrose in the year 387.
St. Monica died later that same year on her way back to Africa from Rome in the Italian town of Ostia. She was buried there for centuries until her relics were brought to Rome where many miracles occurred along the way.
Feast Day
Feast Day: August 17th
Name Meaning: “The wise counselor”
Patron Saint of: Abuse victims, alcoholics, homemakers, married women, mothers, victims of adultery, widows, disappointing children.
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