With their back-to-back feast days, it's the perfect time to test how well you know this incredible mother-son duo.
Are you often praying for your kids? Meet St. Monica, the patron saint of mothers who wouldn't give up on her wild son. And that son? He became St. Augustine, one of the greatest theologians in Church history.
But here's the plot twist. Before Augustine was writing profound spiritual classics, he was breaking his mother's heart with his partying, mistresses, and heretical beliefs. Their story reads like a dramatic novel. With their back-to-back feast days (Monica on August 27, Augustine on August 28), it's the perfect time to test how well you know this incredible mother-son duo.
Get ready for some surprising facts about these saints!
Sts. Monica and Augustine Trivia
1St. Monica is most famous for praying for her son Augustine. How many years did she pray for his conversion?
2Before Augustine became a Christian, what controversial religious movement did he follow for nearly a decade?
3Augustine had a son out of wedlock. What was his son’s name?
4In what Italian city was Augustine famously converted?
5St. Monica had to deal with more than just Augustine's wild ways. What other major family problem was she dealing with?
6What was Augustine's profession before he became a priest and bishop?
7Complete this famous quote from Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are _____ until they rest in you.”
8What did St. Monica do when Augustine secretly sailed away to Rome without telling her?
9St. Augustine wrote so much about a particular theological concept that it became part of his nickname. What was the nickname?
10What happened to Monica shortly after Augustine's conversion and baptism?
Answer Key (and the amazing stories behind them)
1. 17 years. St. Monica prayed for Augustine's conversion for nearly two decades. Talk about maternal persistence! She followed him from North Africa to Rome to Milan, never giving up hope.
2. Manichaeism. Augustine spent nine years following this dualistic religion that taught that the material world was inherently evil. It nearly broke Monica's heart, but she kept praying.
3. Adeodatus (“Given by God”). Augustine loved his son deeply and described him as a brilliant and insightful thinker. Tragically, Adeodatus died young, shortly after both he and Augustine were baptized.
4. Milan. Augustine's famous garden conversion happened in Milan, where he heard a child singing “Take up and read” (“Tolle lege”), so he opened the Bible to Romans 13:13-14 and consequently turned away from his life of sin.
5. A troubled marriage. Monica's pagan husband Patricius was given to volatile temper outbursts and infidelity. His behavior caused her great suffering, but incredibly, through God’s grace and her patience and prayers, he became a Christian and was baptized shortly before his death.
6. Teacher of rhetoric (public speaking). Augustine was actually a successful professor teaching the art of persuasive speaking in Carthage, Rome, and Milan. His rhetorical skills served him well later as a bishop — he knew how to move crowds with words!
7. Restless. This unforgettable quote from Confessions is one of the most famous lines in Christian literature and perfectly captures the human longing for God.
8. She followed him! When Augustine sneaked away to Rome without telling his mother, Monica's response was classic. She got on the next boat and followed him! Her determination was legendary.
9. “Doctor of Grace.” St. Augustine is known as the “Doctor of Grace” because of his many writings on the doctrine of divine grace. He emphasized humanity's total dependence on God's grace for salvation, in contrast to Pelagianism, a heresy that taught humans could achieve righteousness through their own efforts. His writings have influenced countless Christian thinkers and continue to do so.
10. She died peacefully, saying her life's work was done. Monica died in Ostia (near Rome) just months after Augustine's baptism. She told him, “Nothing is far from God,” and said she no longer cared where she was buried because she had seen her son's conversion. Her tomb is in a basilica named after Augustine in Rome.
How did you do?
9-10 correct: Saint Scholar Supreme! You know these saints better than most theology professors!
7-8 correct: Holy Historian! St. Monica would be proud of your dedication to learning!
5-6 correct: Faithful Student! Time to dive deeper into these amazing saints' stories!
Under 5: Beloved Beginner! St. Monica's patience with Augustine proves God's love for your learning journey too!
Share your score and tag someone who needs to know about the power of a praying mother!
Which fact about Monica and Augustine surprised you most? Let us know in the comments below!
