St. Monica’s Story

Saint Monica’s Story

“The circumstances of Saint Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law, and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations.  Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her to marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa.  Patricius had some redeeming characteristics, but he had a violent temper and was licentious.  Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home.  Patricius criticized his wife privately because of her charity and piety, but always respected her in public.  Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity.  Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.

Monica’s oldest child, Augustine, was 17 at the time of his father’s death and a rhetoric student in Carthage.  Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy, – all flesh is evil” – and was living an immoral life.  For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house.  Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith.  From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him.  In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.

When he was 29, Augustine went to Rome to teach rhetoric.  Monica was determined to go along.  One night, Augustine told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend.

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