St. Monica: Patron of Mothers of Strong-Willed (and Occasionally Difficult) Chil

Monica was the mother of St. Augustine. Although Augustine was one of the most influential thinkers in all of Christian history, he devoted much of his early life to activities that, to say the least, tried the patience of his saintly mother. Throughout the years of her son’s experiments with different ways of and attitudes toward life, Monica patiently and persistently poured out a string of prayers, beseeching, and tears. Soon after Augustine converted to Christianity in 387, Monica died in his presence. After her death, Augustine wrote of her: “This was the mother, now dead and hidden awhile from my sight, who had wept over me for many years so that I might live.” In this statue, Monica is shown holding in one hand a cup (possibly a wine glass...), the cup of tears she wept for her son, now a saint like her. Her other hand is raised in supplication. The piece was handmade by Hank Schlau and hand painted by Karen Schlau at In the Company of Saints.

Dimensions: 6.75 (h) x 3 (w) x 1.7