Monica of Hippo was born in 331 in Tagaste of Northern Africa. She was raised by Christian parents and their maidservant. She discovered her parent’s wine in the cellar and the maidservant reprehended her. She realized her faults and repented which helped her turn to God even more.

While still young, she was given away in marriage to a Roman named Patricius who was an upstanding citizen but a pagan. He had a violent temper and was unfaithful to Monica. His mother, who also had a strong temper, came to live with the couple in their home. The mother and son’s tempers flared, and along with his infidelity, proved to be a constant challenge to young Monica.

Monica’s prayers, Christian beliefs, and deeds bothered her husband, but it is said that he respected them. They had 3 children, Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Her husband would not let her baptize the children and when Augustine fell gravely ill, Monica pleaded with him. He permitted it, but when Augustine grew healthy again, he denied it again.

For years she prayed for her husband’s and mother-in-law’s conversion until finally, just 1 year before his death, they became Christians.

As time passed, her daughter Perpetua became a nun and later an abbess and Navigius her son became a monk. Unfortunately, Augustine became lazy and uncouth. This greatly worried his mother so after the death of her husband, she sent 17-year-old Augustine to Carthage for schooling. He joined a pagan religion and took on a mistress, with whom he had a child. He was intelligent and full of pride and lived a life of hedonism and constant partying. She was disappointed and cried many tears for him. Upon his return home, because of his lifestyle and arrogance, she drove him away, but they later reconciled after quite some time. Feeling pressured by this mother’s presence, he tricked her to get away.

While seeking counsel, she was inspired by direction from the local bishop and followed Augustine to Rome and later to Milan. She continued her persistent prayer, aided the poor in sacrifice, and gave homage to the Martyrs. She came across and befriended Saint Ambrose, who helped her convert Augustine to Christianity following his 17-year resistance. After all of her sufferings, he was baptized with his friends at Easter in the year 387 in the church of St. John the Baptist in Milan.

“Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is left for me to do or why I am still here as all my hopes in this world have now been fulfilled.”

Together they believed they should spread the Word of God to Africa, but in the Roman city of Civitavecchia, Monica became sick and passed away.

Saint Augustine of Hippo became a bishop and is considered a Doctor of the Church through his influential writings.

In 1430, Pope Martin V order her relics to be brought to Rome and many miracles were reported to have occurred along the way. Cardinal d’Estouteville built a church to honor Saint Augustine called the Basilica di Sant’Agostino, where her relics were placed in a chapel to the left of the high altar.

She is the patron saint of wives and abuse victims.

Her feast day is August 27.

For God’s Glory.