Monica ( – 387) was an early North African
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
saint and the mother of
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North A ...
. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding
Christian virtues, particularly the suffering caused by her husband's
adultery
Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and leg ...
, and her prayerful life dedicated to the reformation of her son, who wrote extensively of her pious acts and life with her in his ''
Confessions''. Popular Christian legends recall Monica
weeping Weeping may refer to:
* The human act of crying (also see wailing (disambiguation))
* The seeping of an open or healing wound, either of serum or pus, sometimes accompanied by a strong smell
* A growth form in plants with pendulous, draping branche ...
every night for her son Augustine.
Life
Monica is assumed to have been born in
Thagaste
Thagaste (or Tagaste) was a Roman- Berber city in present-day Algeria, now called Souk Ahras. The town was the birthplace of Saint Augustine.
History
Thagaste was originally a small Numidian village, inhabited by a Berber tribe into which August ...
(present-day
Souk Ahras
Souk Ahras ( Berber: ''Tagast''; ancient name: ''Thagast''; ar, سوق أهراس) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Souk Ahras Province. The Numidian city of Thagaste (or Tagaste), on whose ruins Souk Ahras was built, was the ...
,
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, religi ...
). She is believed to have been a Berber on the basis of her name. She was married early in life to Patricius, a Roman pagan, who held an official position in Thagaste. Patricius had a violent temper and appears to have been of dissolute habits; apparently his mother was the same way. Monica's
almsgiving
Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread practice in a number ...
, deeds and prayer habits annoyed Patricius, but it is said that he always held her in respect.
Monica had three children who survived infancy: two sons, Augustine and Navigius, and a daughter,
'Perpetua' of Hippo
Perpetua (died c. 423) was a late Roman abbess, the daughter of Saint Monica and Patricius, and the younger sister of Augustine of Hippo.
Biography
Although Augustine's sister is mentioned by him and Possidius, neither give her name; the Bollandi ...
. Unable to secure baptism for them, she grieved heavily when Augustine fell ill. In her distress she asked Patricius to allow Augustine to be baptized; he agreed, then withdrew this consent when the boy recovered.
But Monica's relief at Augustine's recovery turned to anxiety as he misspent his renewed life being wayward and, as he himself says, lazy. He was finally sent to school at
Madauros
Madauros (''Madaurus'', ''Madaura'') was a Roman- Berber city and a former diocese of the Catholic Church in the old state of Numidia, in present-day Algeria.
History
The birth of the city dates back to the 5th century BC under the aegis of the ...
. He was 17 and studying rhetoric in
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the clas ...
when Patricius died.
Augustine had become a
Manichaean
Manichaeism (;
in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian prophet Mani (A ...
at Carthage. When, upon his return home, he shared his views regarding Manichaeism, Monica drove him away from her table. However, she is said to have experienced a vision that convinced her to reconcile with him.

At this time she visited a certain (unnamed) bishop who consoled her with the words, "the child of those tears shall never perish." Monica followed her wayward son to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, where he had gone secretly; when she arrived he had already gone to
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4  ...
, but she followed him. Here she found
Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
and through him she ultimately saw Augustine convert to Christianity after 17 years of resistance.
In his book ''Confessions'', Augustine wrote of a peculiar practice of his mother in which she "brought to certain oratories, erected in the memory of the saints, offerings of porridge, bread, water and wine." When she moved to Milan, the bishop Ambrose forbade her to use the offering of wine, since "it might be an occasion of gluttony for those who were already given to drink". So, Augustine wrote of her:
Monica and her son spent six peaceful months at ''Rus Cassiciacum'' (present-day
Cassago Brianza
Cassago Brianza ( Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Lecco. Part of the Brianza traditional region, it was formed in 19 ...
) after which Augustine was baptized by Ambrose in the church of St. John the Baptist at Milan. Monica and Augustine left for Africa and they set out on their journey, stopping at
Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia (; meaning "ancient town") is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located west-north-west of Rome. The harbour is formed by two pi ...
and at
Ostia
Ostia may refer to:
Places
*Ostia (Rome), a municipio (also called ''Ostia Lido'' or ''Lido di Ostia'') of Rome
*Ostia Antica, a township and port of ancient Rome
*Ostia Antica (district), a district of the commune of Rome
Arts and entertainment ...
. Here Monica died, and Augustine's grief inspired his ''Confessions''.
Veneration

Monica was buried at
Ostia
Ostia may refer to:
Places
*Ostia (Rome), a municipio (also called ''Ostia Lido'' or ''Lido di Ostia'') of Rome
*Ostia Antica, a township and port of ancient Rome
*Ostia Antica (district), a district of the commune of Rome
Arts and entertainment ...
and at first seems to have been almost forgotten, though her body was removed during the 6th century to a hidden
crypt
A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a ...
in the church of
Santa Aurea
The Basilica of Santa Aurea is a church situated in the Ostia Antica district of Ostia, Italy. Ostia became an episcopal see as early as the 3rd century AD. The present-day church, completed in 1483, it was the seat of the suburbicarian dioces ...
in Ostia. Monica was buried near the tomb of
Aurea of Ostia
Aurea of Ostia (or ''Aura''; in Greek, ''Chryse''; both names mean “golden girl”) is venerated as the patron saint of Ostia. According to one scholar, “ though the acta of Saint Aurea are pious fiction, she was a genuine martyr with a ver ...
.
Her tomb was later transferred to the
Basilica of Sant'Agostino, Rome
it, Basilica di Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio
, image = Sant Agostino Fassade.jpg
, caption = Façade from the Piazza di Sant’Agostino
, coordinates =
, image_size=270
, mapframe-frame-width=270
, m ...
.
Anicius Auchenius Bassus wrote Monica's funerary epitaph, which survived in ancient manuscripts.
The actual stone on which it was written was rediscovered in the summer of 1945 in the church of Santa Aurea. The fragment was discovered after two boys were digging a hole to plant a
football post in the courtyard beside Santa Aurea.
A translation from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
by Douglas Boin reads:
During the 13th century, however, the cult of Saint Monica began to spread and a feast in her honour was kept on 4 May. In 1430,
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...
ordered that the relics be brought to Rome. Many miracles are said to have occurred on the way, and the
cultus Cultus may refer to:
*Cult (religious practice)
* ''Cultus'' (stonefly), a genus of stoneflies
*Cultus Bay, a bay in Washington
*Cultus Lake (disambiguation) Cultus Lake may refer to:
*Cultus Lake, British Columbia, Canada
*Cultus Lake (Oregon), Un ...
of Saint Monica was definitely established. Later the
archbishop of Rouen
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen ( Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the ...
,
Guillaume d'Estouteville
Guillaume d'Estouteville, OSB (c. 1412–1483) was a French aristocrat of royal blood who became a leading bishop and cardinal. He held a number of Church offices simultaneously. He conducted the reexamination of the case of Jeanne d'Arc and ...
, built a church at Rome in honour of Augustine, the Basilica di Sant'Agostino, and deposited the relics of Saint Monica in a chapel to the left of the high altar. The Office of St. Monica, however, does not seem to have found a place in the
Roman Breviary
The Roman Breviary (Latin: ''Breviarium Romanum'') is a breviary of the Roman Rite in the Catholic Church. A liturgical book, it contains public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bis ...
before the 16th century.
In 1934, in the Dutch city of Utrecht, the order of the 'Zusters Augustinessen van Sint-Monica' was founded, doing social work, offering a shelter for women with unwanted pregnancies or women who were the victims of domestic violence or abuse. The
sisters
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
also started a number of primary schools. In their heyday the order had six convents, in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Sittard, Maastricht, Hilversum and Arnouville on the outskirts of Paris. Since the Hilversum convent, City of God, was closed in 2014, only Utrecht remains as a rest home for the elderly among the sisters, and Casella, a woodland retreat near Hilversum, where young people are still welcome for a meditative sojourn.

The city of
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, is named after Monica. A legend states that in the 18th century Father
Juan Crespí
Joan Crespí or Juan Crespí (1 March 1721 – 1 January 1782) was a Franciscan missionary and explorer of Las Californias.
Biography
A native of Majorca, Crespí entered the Franciscan order at the age of seventeen. He came to New Spain in ...
named a local dripping spring ''Las Lágrimas de Santa Mónica'' ("Saint Monica’s Tears"; today known as the
Serra Springs) that was reminiscent of the tears that Monica shed over her son's early impiety. As recorded in his diary, however, Crespí actually named the place ''San Gregorio''. What is known for certain is that by the 1820s, the name Santa Monica was in use and its first official mentio