Devotees celebrate Friday, Aug. 27, the feast day of Saint Monica, the revered patron saint of mothers and wives.
Feast masses will be held in her honor today, Aug. 27 and tomorrow, Aug. 28 at the Santa Monica de Tondo Parish in Tondo, Manila at 5:30 p.m. The holy masses will be live streamed via the Santa Monica de Tondo Parish Facebook page.
Novena masses were also live streamed from Aug.18 to Aug. 26. There will be no procession and motorcade of the images of St. Monica and her son, St. Agustine this year, the parish announced as it called on the faithful “to remain –theses uncertain times – in the safest place we can be – God’s love.”
Holy masses will also be held in honor of St. Monica at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila at 6:45 a.m. and at 5:30 p.m. The masses will also be live streamed. There will be a virtual blessing of mothers after the masses.
Commemorative masses will also be held in Sta. Monica, Surigao del Norte; Alburquerque, Bohol; Taytay, Palawan; Minalin, Pampanga; Pavia, Iloilo; Botolan, Zambales; Panay, Capiz; and in Angat, Bulacan.
St. Monica is the mother of one of the Catholic Church’s most popular saints, St. Augustine (San Agustin), the founder of the Augustinian Order, whose feast day will be observed Saturday, August 28. Considered as a great model for Christian mothers, she converted her wayward son, St. Augustine, as well as her pagan husband and his mother, through intense praying and fasting.
St. Augustine wrote about his mother’s pious acts and his life with her in Confessions.
Born in Tagaste, North Africa in the year 331, St. Monica was a staunch devotee of the Blessed Mother. She was admired for her patience, perseverance, prayerful disposition, and deep faith. She died in the year 387 in Ostia, Italy where she was buried.
St. Monica is also honored in the Orthodox Churches.