Father’s Day is a time to remember spiritual fathers as well as dads. But did you know that just three days before Father’s Day, we celebrate the feast of St Monica, mother of one of the greatest Church Fathers of all, St Augustine?
One Sydney mothers’ group has taken a leaf out of St Monica’s book, turning to prayer and Our Lord to guide their sons, who have become spiritual fathers.
The group exists to support, sustain and support mothers who have given their sons to God through the priestly and religious vocations.
It began when Louise, mother of Fr Jason Rushton SJM, was prompted by her son to find a community of spiritual and physical support.
“It was Fr Jason’s idea that I would have a mother’s group. He left in 2013 and knew that I was part of a mother’s group when he was born, so his gift to me was the idea to have the mother’s group and suggested some members,” Louise said
The majority of the members’ sons are priests, but some are the mothers of seminarians, and one member has a nun for a daughter.
“When they launched vocations week, we met another mother whose son will be entering seminary. She was introduced to us as she was getting used to the idea of her only son becoming a priest,” said Diana, mother of St Mary’s Cathedral priest Fr Roberto Keryakos.
“Our main aim is to encourage and give positive feedback to mothers whose children are thinking of joining the seminary or religious life.
“Whenever the seminarians are ordained we try to go to the ordination. So when Deacon Justin Faehrmann was ordained we had two rows of us mums—you know, that kind of thing to encourage and support each other.”
St Monica, whose feast in celebrated on 27 August, unfortunately did not have this support.
Married to a pagan who converted a year before his death, St Monica made it her mission to pray relentlessly for the conversion of her son Augustine for 17 years.
Always relying on the grace and mercy of God, St Monica could never have known that her son would become one of the greatest saints of the church.
Christine French, mother of Broken Bay vocations director Fr Sam French, has prayed for years that the Lord’s will would be done.
Her prayers supported Fr Sam’s priestly vocation, and her son Matthew is also a seminarian hoping for ordination to the priesthood.
“All through the years where we prayed the rosary daily, we were praying for vocations,” she said.
“If any one of our children were called to the priestly or religious life, it was one of our intentions always.
“Lord if you want any of them, any of them… however many he wants, he can have.”
While it hasn’t always been easy, prayer has become a great source of strength and comfort to not only the mothers, but their sons as well.
“Since my son has become a priest, my prayer life has changed for the better, to help him and my family, whenever they need it and whenever they ask,” Diana explained.
“They definitely do ask us for prayers and they pray for us as well. They ask for special prayers when they have special vows coming up,” Louise said.
“They know that we’re there and that gives them extra strength.”