Novena to Saint Monica

Novena to Saint Monica

Patron Saint of difficult marriages, disappointing children, mothers, and victims of adultery

(Feast May 4th)

Dear St. Monica you suffered heartache for years over your children and husband who despite your prayers rejected the Christian faith.  Your patience and trust in the Lord was repaid by the conversion of your husband and the baptism of your three children.  As it would seem that your eldest son was always to pursue a life of sin the fruits of your prayer were realized when Your Son Augustine abandoned his prior ways and chose a consecrated life.  As a mother I beseech you to help my family and those of mothers across the world who suffer such pain trying to raise their children according to our Christian faith.  Please pray for peace to exist in our hearts and families.  Pray that a desire to pray will grow in the hearts of our children and a Love of Jesus and His Mother will burn within them.  As a loving Mother, St. Monica please carry our petitions to our Heavenly Mother Mary and Her Son who both love us. Amen

1 Hail Mary

St. Monica please pray for our families!

Shortly after Divine Mercy Sunday I was speaking with a dear friend from Church.  We began to speak about the children’s Bibles the children’s rosary was giving out.  As I was sharing some wonderful stories about families who had taken bibles and were beginning family prayer in their homes I could see my friend was becoming sad.  She shared with me a deep pain that had existed within her heart for some time.  Her children are grown now and come home for holidays.  Over Easter her years of attempts to bring her family to conversion were the subject of many jokes.  As tears rolled down her face I thought of St. Monica and thought that I would like to start a novena for my friend and for all the mothers who pray night after night for the children. One priest once told St. Monica not to worry because, “it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.”  The priest was right and her son Augustine would become a Doctor of the Church and one of our great Saints. 

Ary Scheffer - St. Augustine and his mother St. Monica