Patroness of alcoholics…
St. Monica
I have always wondered why St. Monica was deemed the patron saint of alcoholics - yet never was interested enough to find out. Fr. Zuhlsdorf has the story. Although it doesn’t sound as if she was a big drinker - she just avoided alcoholism, as the post indicates.
“Mammoni” - it means “mama’s boy” in Italian.*
I must admit I have never had a particular devotion to St. Monica or her son, but not everyone has a special devotion to every saint. (In other words, I don’t have a statue or medal of them, or make novenas and recite daily prayers in their honor. Sorry, I do have a 1st class relic of Monica and Augustine - they are in a calendar reliquary.) Of course, I have a general devotion, and I enjoy reading about them; I hear Augustine wrote rather well - I’m kidding!
(I’ll bet Augustine’s mistress didn’t get along well with the mother.)
“Prosit!”
*Mammoni - it’s not necessarily a derogatory term - and I don’t mean it as such. In fact it is still rather common in Italy. It’s really kind of nice.
August 27th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Even the saints are human, and have their faults. I always wondered if Monica had stuck to praying for her son, and had laid off nagging him so much, if he would have seen the light earlier. When I have nagged my kids (or husband) they seem to do the direct opposite.
I never did hear why Augustine never married the mother of his son. The relationship was prior to his conversion, maybe they were of the “It’s just a piece of paper” mentality?
August 27th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Melody - Maybe it’s our contemporary sensibilities - but I wondered the same thing too. It is said she followed him in his travels - Crescat has a post about her as the patron saint of guilt trips - although she meant it in another sense - but maybe…?
August 28th, 2007 at 7:33 am
60 MINUTES did a story about Mammoni a few years ago— these are well educated guys who make a good living, date women, live in bachelor pads, but Mom does everything for them from cooking, to cleaning, to laundry, etc
August 28th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Richie - I saw that - they were normal guys too. I worked with a couple of guys in their 30’s and 40’s who still lived with mom - so it happens in this country too. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
August 28th, 2007 at 11:03 am
I moved out long ago & lived elsewhere / did my own thing. Now I’m back in my homestate w/the parental units and it has been a very good thing. Dad turns 80 in October & Mom just turned 75. They feel secure knowing “someone’s there” and I love spending time with them, too. No, Terry, there *isn’t* anything wrong with that.
August 28th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Jeron - I really don’t think there is either. Especially as parents age, it is good that a single son or daughter can live with them and eventually care for them.