Do you have a loved one who has fallen away from the faith?
Consider turning to the saintly intercession and holy testimony of Saint Monica!
Saint Monica is revered as the patron saint of conversion due to her instrumental role in leading her own family members to Christianity.
In addition to her powerful prayers for her son, Saint Augustine of Hippo, to return to Christianity, her example inspired the conversion of her pagan husband and mother-in-law.
The story of Saint Monica illustrates that no one is beyond redemption through God’s transformative grace. Even the most wayward individuals can experience a change of heart through the intercessory prayers of those who love them.
Her story can be a source of encouragement for parents who find themselves in a similar situation, grappling with the challenges of raising children in the faith.
For some, the road to redemption may be filled with numerous obstacles. Persistence in prayer can make a difference!
Here is a powerful prayer for the conversion of a wayward child, asking for Saint Monica’s intercession:
Under the weight of my heartful burden,
I turn to you, dear Saint Monica,
and request your assistance and intercession.
From your place in heaven,
I beg that you will plead before
the Throne of the Holy One,
for the sake of my child, [Name],
who has wandered from the faith,
and all that we have tried to teach.
I know, dear Monica,
that our children belong not to us,
but to God, and that God often permits
this wandering as part
of one’s journey toward Him.
Your son, Augustine, wandered, too;
eventually, he found faith and came to believe,
and in that belief became a true teacher.
Help me, therefore, to have patience,
and to believe that all things —
even this disappointing movement
away from the faith — work ultimately
for His own good purposes.
For the sake of my child’s soul,
I pray to understand and trust in this.
St. Monica, please teach me to persist
in faithful prayer as you did for your son’s sake.
Inspire me to behave in ways that will not
further distance my child from Christ,
but only draw [Name] gently towards
his marvelous light.
Please teach me what you know
about this painful mystery of separation,
and how it is reconciled in the re-orientation
of our children toward heaven.
O Saint Monica,
lover of Christ and His Church,
pray for me, and for my child [Name],
that we may acquire heaven,
joining with you, there, in offering constant
and thankful praise to God.
Amen.
