“I am an Augustinian, a son of Saint Augustine, who once said, ‘With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.’ In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.”
— First message of Pope Leo XIV, May 8, 2025.
St. Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church, is one of the “towering figures” in the life and long history of the Church. His teaching, preaching, and writing continue to shape our ecclesiology, spirituality, and theology. The Feast Days of Augustine and his mother, St. Monica, can be an opportunity for us to reflect on our mission of evangelization, to hand on the faith through prayer, education, and perseverance, especially as a new school year comes into view.
Aug. 27 and 28 are unique moments in the liturgical life of the Church each year. While there are many Feast Days throughout the year when we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God, Aug. 27 and 28 are unique because we celebrate “mother and son saints” on consecutive days. You may be reading this on Aug. 27, the Feast of St. Monica, or on Aug. 28, the Feast of St. Augustine, or the feast days may have already passed. Either way, I wanted to take this opportunity to invite both those who may already be very familiar with the lives and importance of these two saints and those who may be less familiar with their stories to spend some time reflecting on the significance of these two saints of the early Church of the late fourth and early fifth centuries so that we might have an appreciation of how they can continue to impact, inspire and teach us today.
As quoted above, most readers are probably aware that Pope Leo XIV identifies himself as a “son of Augustine” and many may have learned over these past few months how Robert Prevost, growing up in Chicago came to know the Augustinian community, studied at an Augustinian University (Villanova), entered formation as a novice with the community on Sept. 1, 1977 and was ordained a priest of the Augustinian Order in Rome (at the Chapel of St. Monica of the Augustinians) on June 19, 1982. He spent the next 32 years serving in various ministries as a priest of the Augustinian community, including 12 years as Prior General (Superior) of the whole international Order of St. Augustine.
Just as Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to become Pope, Pope Leo XIV is the first Augustinian to be chosen as Pope. We can expect that, just as Pope Francis brought his Jesuit formation, spirituality, and charism to his role as Holy Father, Pope Leo will bring his Augustinian formation, spirituality, and charisms to his ministry as successor of St. Peter. If you would like to learn more about Pope Leo as a “son of Augustine” and what that may mean for his papal ministry, I would offer two resources.
I recently enjoyed reading: Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope by Matthew Bunson. The Inside the Vatican podcast offered (in early July) a three-part “deep dive” series into the life and history of the “first American Pope,” which does an excellent job of telling the story of Pope Leo’s Augustinian formation and ministry. Here is a link to the first of the three episodes.
In celebrating “mother and son” on Aug. 27 and 28, we are reminded that the Church would not have the great Saint Augustine if it were not for his Mother, St. Monica. I often recommend the “Franciscan Media” website and their “Catholic Saint of the Day” series as a great introduction to getting to know — and helping others to get to know — the “lives of the Saints.” Franciscan Media’s description of St. Monica tells her story in a beautiful and concise way, summarizing her inspiring example of living the vocation of wife and mother, never “giving up,” and persevering in trusting faith and prayer. I hope you will take the time to read all six short paragraphs of the brief description of her life, but I will share the first two paragraphs here, in case there may be any hesitation:
“The circumstances of Saint Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law, and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy — “all flesh is evil” — and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted …”
Franciscan Media Saint of the Day Aug. 27
I am writing this column on the weekend of Aug. 24/25, looking forward to the last weekend in August, leading to Labor Day Weekend and the beginning of a new school year. Many college students (many with help from their parents) have already gone “back to school.” School administrators, leaders, and teachers have already begun their preparations for the new school year.
I was happy to be with the presidents and principals of our diocesan high schools and elementary schools this past Tuesday. I celebrated Mass with them at the beginning of a day of planning meetings and had the opportunity to meet and be in conversation with them in the afternoon. It is a great privilege, as bishop, to work with Mary Baier, our superintendent of Schools, the staff of the Catholic Schools Office, and our Vicar for Education, Father Paul Manning, as we strive to support and encourage the leaders of our Catholic Schools. One of the topics that we discussed at our meeting was how grateful we are for the leadership of our pastors, especially those with parish schools and academies, and the importance of as many priests as possible being part of and present to our Catholic elementary and high schools.
***There may still be parents who are making decisions about where their children will attend school in this new school year. If you would like to learn more about the Catholic schools in our diocese, you can go to the website of our Schools’ office.
When we think about a new school year, we are also aware of the importance of our efforts at the diocesan and parish level to promote, encourage, and strengthen Religious Education and Faith Formation programs for children, families, and adults in each of our parishes. In recent years, I have been very encouraged to hear from Father Yojaneider Garcia, director of our diocesan Office of Faith Formation, how his team and many pastors and catechetical leaders are promoting “Family Faith Formation” programs and initiatives, emphasizing and supporting parents in their role as the “first Catechists,” the first teachers of their children in the ways of Faith.
As we look forward to a new school year, taking some time to reflect on the lives and example of St. Monica and St. Augustine, we can be inspired to realize that, as disciples of Jesus and as families, each according to our own vocation, we are all called to be students and teachers, receiving and sharing the gifts of our Faith.
St. Monica and St. Augustine, pray for us.
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