Feast of St. Monica, August 27

Sometimes, being a patron saint of something doesn't tell you anything about the saint. Take Saint Magnus of Fussen...patron saint against caterpillars. But other times, her patronage can tell you a lot about the saint and the life she led.

St. Monica is one whose patronage tells us a lot. She is one of my favorite saints, and if you have a teenager in the house she's the go-to saint. St Monica is the patron saint of:

Those in difficult marriages

Victims of adultery or unfaithfulness

Victims of abuse

Those with difficult children

One of her children was St. Augustine. More on him tomorrow - his feast day!