“The mothers have become a powerful intercessory force for their families.
Many of them are concerned about their children’s loss of faith, and here they find a community that supports them spiritually.
This is how the General Councilor and President of the General Secretariat for the Missionary and Ministerial Apostolate, Ismael Xuruc, begins to explain the work of the Monicas Mothers Association.
The Community of Christian Mothers of St. Monica is an association of the Order whose main objective is to unite mothers in prayer, especially for the faith of their children, their own and others.
It is a space where, through daily prayer and mutual support, they can intercede for the faith and spiritual welfare of their families.
“Where there is a mother praying, there is always God listening.”
Fr. Ismael explained that the community was founded in the 1980s in the parish of Santa Rita in Madrid, by Father Lorenzo Infante and that the mothers are organized in the so-called ‘Prayer Choirs‘.
Precisely, Jessica Garcia, a Mother Monica from Panama has explained that these choirs are formed by seven women: “What we seek is to have permanent prayer; there will always be a mother praying for the rest of the group. One each day of the week. St. Augustine teaches us that where there is a mother praying, God is always listening”.
Although the association is present in more than twenty countries, in the last year in Panama, the Monica Mothers have grown significantly, with 10 choirs in the Piedra Church: “For me, being a Monica mother has been a very empowering experience.
I am very grateful to God because we are praying for our children.
This work is for them, keep us in prayer.
Prayer has no limits “shared Lis Bocanegra, another mother from Panama, who also mentioned the formation of a choir in Honduras, even though there is no Augustinian Recollect presence there.
“The main strength is that we all have the purpose of praying for our children. The faith that prayer transforms their lives also transforms us as a group”.
But, as Fr.
Ismael explained, there are already mothers who are praying for their children, but who are not called Monica Mothers “and when we tell them about this organization, this structure, this orderly way of doing it, they are happy and want to do it in the style of the Monica Mothers.”
Publication of a book: “It will be an instrument with guidelines”.
Therefore, in order to continue making this association known, they are promoting a book explaining how it works and the steps to follow to become a Mother Monica: “We want to accompany the reality that many mothers live, because many of them silently face their situation as mothers with their children.
Soon, God willing, we will publish guidelines in a book so that communities, parishes and schools will have it and we will accompany those who wish to form their choir”.
“Do not give up.
Stand firm and trust in prayer (…) Only God knows what will happen in the life of each one of them.
But God never forgets an act, a gesture of love, of a mother towards her children.”
In this regard, he explained that this publication, which will be released in 2025, “It will serve as a resource so that more mothers, anywhere in the world, can organize themselves and pray together, thus multiplying the power of prayer.
We want each community to have an instrument to guide them on how to initiate, how to accompany and what is the mission to be carried out“.
“May they never lack God in their hearts.”
The mothers emphasized that belonging to the community is not complicated: “All you need is to be a mother and have faith.
It is not necessary to meet frequently, only to have a day of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, if possible, or a moment of prayer at home, praying for the conversion and care of our children so that they will never lack God in their hearts“.
Finally, Fr. Ismael addressed a message to all those mothers who pray every day for the conversion of their children: “I would tell them not to give up.
I would tell them to remain firm and confident in prayer.
As St. Monica was once told, a child of so many tears cannot be lost.
A good mother will never, never stop dreaming and wanting the good for her children, and God accompanies her in this desire.
And if you have the possibility of sharing that anguish, that suffering, that cross with another, with others, do not be afraid. And even if you do not see the immediate results, only God knows what will happen in the life of each one of them.
But God never forgets an act, a gesture of love, that a mother has towards her children“.