St. Monica's Heartbreak | A Catholic Mother's Fight for Her Son, Augustine
Rebel Saints: Catholic Faith & Spiritual Growth Podcast for Christians
Before St. Augustine became a doctor of the Catholic Church, Augustine, was a son making his mother absolutely miserable. He was brilliant, ambitious, restless, questioning everything, chasing the life he wanted and moving farther and farther away from Christianity. And Monica had to watch it happen. We know how the story ends. Augustine becomes one of the greatest theologians in Christian history and one of the most famous Catholic saints who ever lived. In Part One of this Rebel Saints deep dive into St. Monica and St. Augustine, we go back to fourth-century North Africa and meet them before the halos, when both of their lives were still messy, complicated and very much unfinished.A note about domestic abuse Augustine describes Monica living in a volatile marriage and surviving within a fourth-century legal and social system that left women with far fewer choices than many women have today. Her story should never be used to suggest that enduring abuse is spiritually admirable or required by Catholic teaching. If you are experiencing domestic abuse in the United States, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or by texting START to 88788. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. www.thehotline.org Read more on the Catholic Church’s teaching on domestic abuse here: https://www.usccb.org/topics/marriage-and-family-life-ministries/when-i-call-help-pastoral-response-domestic-violence Find Confessions by St. Augustine on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ci4NrA or read for free via Project Gutenburg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3296/3296-h/3296-h.htm Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: AQIIIYB15EZX6IXD, PAGIOH723EIEKXTZ, APDGDYXS2GTVXX3X, YGENDLRYUETWLSW2, AEMSZIRV6QJ5J4XF, JTNGAHAULN3GRG9Q, 2YZBAP00YP0PFIY5 Support the Journey: Help other restless hearts find us! Follow: Hit the "+" or "Follow" button or subscribe, where applicable. Review: If you enjoyed this show, please leave a review or tap the stars. It’s the best way to help us grow. Connect with Rebel Saints: rebelsaintspodcast.com Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelsaintspodcast Instagram: @rebelsaintspodcast TikTok: @RebelSaintsPodcast For exclusive content and to join the Restless Hearts Society - (Coming Soon) find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/RebelSaintsPodcast Write us: rebelsaintspodcast@gmail.com
About Podcast
There is nothing more punk than Catholicism. Rebel Saints is a Catholic podcast exploring Christian discipleship, spiritual growth, and Catholic theology for restless hearts trying to follow Jesus Christ in a modern world.
In an age of algorithms, anxiety, artificial intelligence, and endless scrolling, how do we live out our Christian faith? St. Augustine wrote, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in You." Sixteen hundred years later, we're still restless — we just have smartphones now.
Hosted by Catholic journalist, youth minister, and mother Nicole Olea, this show offers a fresh laywoman’s perspective on the ancient Church. Whether you are a cradle Catholic, a recent convert, a scripture seeker, or a skeptic, this podcast tackles the hard questions about faith and culture.
Through thoughtful interviews, compelling storytelling, Catholic Church history, Scripture reflections, and the inspiring lives of the saints, Nicole dives into what it actually means to build a daily prayer life today. The Church has outlived empires, revolutions, and pandemics. She isn't afraid of modernity, and you don't need a perfect life hack or another political hot take to find peace.
Maybe the most rebellious thing you can do isn't reinvent yourself. Maybe it's discovering Catholic spirituality and becoming the saint you were created to be. Restless hearts: You are welcome here.
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Rebel Saint - this podcast is for you!
