A praying mother

St Monica is the patron saint of abuse victims, alcoholics, wives and difficult marriages. She was the mother of St Augustine of Hippo and is most renowned for her constant prayers for his conversion to Christianity.

Monica was born in 333 in Tagaste, North Africa, 40 miles from the port city of Hippo. She was married to a pagan named Patricius with whom she had two sons, Augustine and Navigius, and one daughter named Perpetua. Patricius was violent and refused to allow Monica to baptise her children.