PLAIN/SPRING GREEN — “I love St. Monica,” said Meg Aspinwall, the director of faith formation at St. Luke Parish in Plain and St. John the Evangelist Parish in Spring Green. “And I love her story. We all have family members who have either fallen away from the faith or who have chosen other directions or never found the faith, so I always ask for her prayers.”
It is the life and story of St. Monica that inspired Pastor Fr. Garrett Kau and Aspinwall to dedicate some spaces in the churches to this great saint.
The life of St. Monica
“St. Monica remained faithful in her prayer and in her life and in her relationship with the Lord even in spite of the fact that her husband was not really supportive of that,” said Aspinwall.
Her husband, Patricius, was a pagan who had little respect for religious practice. He is said to have had a violent temper and was frequently annoyed by Monica’s almsgiving and her habits of prayer.
The two had three children, of which St. Augustine was the oldest, but Patricius forbade her from having the children Baptized. When St. Augustine fell seriously ill, she begged her husband to allow him to be Baptized. Patricius agreed but then revoked his consent when his son’s health improved.
“Augustine was the wild card,” said Aspinwall. “Not living a very good holy life at all, and for 20 or 30 years, she prayed for his conversion. Finally, he had this massively beautiful conversion to the faith and is one of the Doctors of the Church.”
The Shrine at St. Luke
The shrine dedicated to St. Monica at St. Luke Church in Plain is in the old baptistry — a room that had been set aside for infant Baptisms.
“It is a room with two beautiful stained glass windows,” said Aspinwall. “We have a kneeler and a beautiful stand that we put [the statue of] St. Monica on. And we have a crucifix and a couple of candles with her there.”
The room can fit about five to seven people comfortably.
The statue, purchased from Italy, is a painted wood carving of the holy saint and is about 24 inches tall.
“She is holding a Bible and a Rosary, but then, at the bottom, is St. Augustine in a little sailboat at her feet,” said Aspinwall.
The boat represents her prayers and persistence in urging her son to come to the faith.
In addition to the statue, the room contains some books and prayer cards.
“We are going to keep adding to that,” said Aspinwall.
She stated that the purpose is to give people a space and resources to “help them process through everything they are thinking and feeling.”
St. John in Spring Green
While a statue of St. Monica has been purchased and is on display at St. John, Aspinwall said they are still trying to figure out the best spot for the small shrine.
“Right now, she is sitting on a ledge as you walk into the church,” she said. “She gets a little lost among all the decorations.”
The statue at St. John is also smaller.
The spaces are rather new, with the statues having just been put out during Lent.
“There’s a lot of pain and sadness when [older parishioners] talk about their families, specifically their children and grandchildren not being connected to the faith or the Church or any kind of relationship with Jesus,” said Aspinwall.
The hope is that parishioners will learn and identify with the story of St. Monica as they are offered a place to reflect and pray about their own experiences.
Prayer to St. Monica
Blessed Monica, mother of St. Augustine,
we give thanks to our Father in Heaven
Who looked with mercy upon your tears
over your wayward son.
His conversion and heroic sanctification
were the fruit of your prayers.
Dear St. Monica, we now ask you to pray with us
for all those sons and daughters
that have wandered away from God,
and to add your prayers to those of all mothers
who are worried over their children.
Pray also for us that, following your example, we may,
in the company of our children, one day enjoy
the eternal vision of our Father in Heaven. Amen.