St. Monica Prayer
St. Monica is the patron saint of mothers, of those with difficult marriages, and of those praying for the conversion of a loved one. Her decades of prayer for her son Augustine — who became one of the greatest saints in Church history — make her the model for all who pray perseveringly for someone they love.
About St. Monica
St. Monica (331–387 AD) was a North African Christian who endured a difficult marriage to a pagan named Patricius and who prayed for over thirty years for the conversion of her son Augustine. Augustine lived a life of worldly pleasure and intellectual restlessness before his dramatic conversion at age 32 — described in his Confessions as the fruit of his mother's tears and prayers. Patricius also converted before his death. Monica died at Ostia, Italy, at age 56, shortly after witnessing Augustine's conversion. She is buried in the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Rome.
When to Pray to St. Monica
Catholics pray to St. Monica for the conversion of a spouse, child, or loved one who has left the faith. She is also invoked by mothers, by those in difficult marriages, and by those who feel their prayers go unanswered and are tempted to give up.
St. Monica, mother who never gave up,
you prayed for thirty years
and the tears you shed were not wasted.
Pray for us now.
We bring before you those we love
who are far from God —
sons, daughters, husbands, wives, friends —
who cannot find their way back
or do not yet know they are lost.
Give us your patience.
Give us your certainty that prayer works
even when nothing seems to change.
And ask your Son Augustine
to pray alongside you
for those who are his brothers and sisters
not yet home.
St. Monica, pray for us. Amen.
Original composition by Rosarycard.net. Biographical information sourced from Butler's Lives of the Saints and St. Augustine's Confessions.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was St. Monica?
- St. Monica (331–387 AD) was a North African Christian who prayed for over thirty years for the conversion of her son Augustine, who became one of the greatest saints in Church history. She endured a difficult marriage to a pagan husband who also eventually converted. She is the patron saint of mothers and those praying for the conversion of a loved one.
- Why is St. Monica the patron saint of mothers?
- St. Monica's decades of patient, tearful prayer for her wayward son Augustine — and the miraculous result of his conversion — make her the model for all mothers who pray for their children. A bishop who consoled her said it was impossible that the son of so many tears should perish.
- When is St. Monica's feast day?
- St. Monica's feast day is August 27, the day before the feast of her son St. Augustine of Hippo on August 28.
- Is there a St. Monica Prayer in Spanish?
- Yes. The Spanish form begins Santa Mónica, madre que nunca se rindió... Use the EN/ES toggle on this page to switch between English and Spanish.
- What did St. Augustine say about his mother?
- In his Confessions, St. Augustine credits his conversion entirely to God's grace — but also to his mother's unceasing prayer and tears. He wrote that she wept for him more than mothers weep for the bodily deaths of their children. After his conversion, he said her labor had brought him forth both to earthly light and to the light of faith.
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