St. Monica Catholic Church and School

St. Monica History 

St. Monica was born of Christian parent at Tagaste, North Africa, in 333; died Ostia, near Rome, in 387.

 

St. Monica was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa, who possessed a violent temper. His mother lived with them and proved a constant challenge to St. Monica. Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband and his mother to the Catholic faith in 370. He died a year later.

 

Three children were born of this union; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua.

 

Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious life.

 

St. Augustine was much more difficult, as she had to pray for him for seventeen years, begging the prayers of priests who, for a while, tried to avoid her because of her persistence at this seemingly hopeless endeavor.

 

One priest did console her by saying, “It is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.”

 

This thought, coupled with a vision that she had received strengthened her. St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in 387. Augustine changed and became a great bishop and teacher.

 

St. Monica died later that same year, on the way back to Africa from Rome in the Italian town of Ostia.

 

She is venerated at Ostia (near Rome), Italy, and in all Augustinian houses. She is the patron saint of married women, mothers, and alcoholics.

 

St. Monica’s feast day is August 27th.

 

 

“Story adapted from the Complete Book of Saints” 

 

 

“Education in the Spirit of the Gospel”

FCC Re-Accredited, 2004