Moniales. See Xins.
Monica, St., the mother of St. Augustine, "count- ed," says Schaff, "among the most noble and pious women who ailorn the temple of Church history," was born, according to tradition, of Christian parents, in Africa, about the year 332. 1 laving attained to the age of womanhood she was married to I'atricc of Tag.iste, a heathen of Numidia, bv whom she had two sons and
one daughter. She was instrumental in the conversion of her husband a year before his death, after having spent with him years in hardship and sore trial. He was of violent temperament, and unfaithful to her in conjugal duties, yet she met all his shortcomings by a Christian spirit of forgiveness and love, and thus at last confjuered in the name of her Saviour, whom she adored and faithfully followed. " Her highest aim," says Schaff, " was to win him over to the faith — not so much by words as by a truly humble and godly conversation, and the most conscientious discharge of her household duties" {Life o/ Ht, Auffustine, p. hi). The same ear- nestness which she displayed for the conversion of her husband she manifested also for the spiritual safety of her children. She -was specially anxious for her son Augustine, who in his youth was given to dissipation, having inherited from his father strong sensual pas- sions, and who had embraced the Manich:pan heresy, which she feared would idtimately ruin his spiritual life. For thirty years she therefore uninterrujitedly prayed for his conversion. "A son of so many prayers and tears," says SchafF, " could not be lost, and the faithful mother, who travailed with him in s|)irit with greater pain than her body had in bringing him into the world (.\ugustine. Con/ess. ix, c. 8), was permitted, for the en- couragement of future mothers, to receive, shortly be- fore her death, an answer to her prayers and expecta- tions, and was able to leave this world with joy without revisiting her earthly home." Augustine had embraced Christianity at Milan, whither he had gone in 384. Hither his mother followed him, and together they worshipped under the ministration of St. Ambrose. In the spring of 387, shortly after his baptism, thej- had quitted Kome to return to Africa, and it was on this homeward journey that Monica died, in Ostia, at the mouth of the Tiber, in 387, in the arms of her son, after enjoying with him a glorious conversation that soared above the confines of space and time, and was a fore- taste of the eternal Sabbath-rest of the saints. She re- gretted not to die, aj'e, not even in a foreign land, be- cause she was not far from God, who would raise her up at the last day. " Bury my body anywhere," was her last request, "and trouble not yourselves for it; only this one thing I ask, that you remember me at the altar of my God, wherever you may be." Augustine, in his Confessions, has erected to Monica the noblest monu- ment, and it can never perish. The Roman Catholic Church keeps May 4 in commemoration of her. Pope Martin Y gives an account of the translation of her re- mains to Kome in 1430. See St. Augustine, Confessions; Godescard, 1 7c des Saints; Bmune, Monica u. Aiif/nsfi- mis (184G); Petet, Ilistoire de Sainte-Monique (1848); Schaff, Life and iMhors of St. A ur/ustine (N. Y. 1854), ch. i, iv, viii ; Mrs. Jamieson, Legends (see Index) ; Schaff, Ck. Hist, iii, 991, 992 ; Neander, Ch. Hist, ii, 227. See ArcusTiNE. (J. II. W.)
Moniglia, Tom.maso-Yincexzo, an Italian theo- logian, was bom August 18, 1686, in Florence. Having received his education at the University of Pisa, he re- turned to Florence, and entered the Order of St. Dom- inic. \cry soon after he contracted a close friendship with the English .imbassador, Henr}- Newton. Se- duced by his promises, he tied from the convent and re- paire<l to London. His pecuniary resources being ex- hausted, he was forced to support himself by teaching. After an absence of three years he succeeded, by the favor of the grand duke, in returning to his own coun- try, -where he was kindly received and his errors par- doned. From that time he devoted himself to preach- ing with indefatigable zeal, and taught theology at Florence and Pisa. Moniglia had an extensive knowl- edge of nearly all the sciences, and was well versed in sacred and profane literature. He was one of the first among the Italians to refute the opinions of Locke, of Hobbes, of Helvetius. and of Bayle, but not always to advantage. He died at Pisa. Feb. 1.5, 1767. He is the author of De Origine sacrantni precum rosarii li.M,
MONISM
491 MONITA SECRETA SOC. JESU
Virginis (Eome, 1725, 8vo) ; which dissertation he com- posed by order of his superiors and to refute the Bol- landists, who do not believe that St. Dominic is the author of these prayers : — De annis Jesu-Chi-isti ser- vatoris et de religione utrimque Philippi A ugusti (Rome, 1741, 4to) i^Contro i Fatalisti (Lucca, 1744, 2 parts, 8vo) : — Contro i Maierialisti e altri increduli (Padua, 1750, 2 vols. 8vo) : — Osserfazioni critico-jilosofiche con- tro i matei-uilisti (Lucca, 1760, 8vo) : — La mente umana spii-ito immortale, non materia pensante (Padua, 1766, 2 vols. 8vo). See Fabroni, VitcB Italorum, vol. ku — Hoe- fer, Nouv, Biog, Generale, s. v.