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September 3, 2021By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
MILLVILLE – Bishop McManus made a plea for today’s wayward young people at a novena to St. Augustine, a converted sinner. The novena also sought the prayers of that sinner’s mother, St. Monica. And, it was held at a parish named for him, St. Augustine Parish.
The bishop was preaching on the feast of St. Augustine last Saturday, the closing night of a novena to the fifth-century bishop of Hippo.
Parishes’ novenas to their patrons are times of grace, because they are public demonstrations of parishioners’ belief in the power of prayer to God, who wants all to be saved, Bishop McManus said.
He congratulated Father Lawrence J. Esposito, now retired, for beginning the St. Augustine novena at the parish, and expressed appreciation that it is continuing this year, after not being held during the pandemic.
Father Lucas M. LaRoche, associate pastor, who coordinated the novena this year, said he thought Father Esposito started it in 2019.
Father LaRoche scheduled preachers for novena Masses and other services Aug. 20-28, including Bishop Nicholas J. Samra of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton.Aug. 27 was the feast of St. Monica, St. Augustine’s mother. Bishop McManus noted that worshippers prayed a novena prayer to St. Monica and well as one to St. Augustine, which he said was important, because it is impossible to understand St. Augustine’s life and ministry without knowing the story of his mother. She was a woman of unshakable Catholic faith whose son caused her great sorrow and spiritual anguish.Augustine, a brilliant teacher of philosophy, desperately wanted to dedicate his life to the truth, but often pursued philosophies that took him away from God,
Bishop McManus said. He lived a morally destitute life, fathering a son out of wedlock, but, surprisingly, named the boy Adeodatus (gift from God).
St. Monica “stormed the heavens” with prayers for her son, Bishop McManus said. One day that wayward son heard the words, “Take up and read,” opened the Scriptures and read about leaving sin behind and putting on Christ. He was converted and was baptized.
“We live in a very troubled time in our Church,” Bishop McManus said. Some parents have told him with tears that their children left the Church and some of these adult children are not having their own children baptized. He said that that breaks his heart as a bishop. He warned against walking away from the Church’s teachings and the truth of the Gospel and searching for meaning elsewhere.
Bishop McManus said he was sure novena-goers came with their own intentions and he added an intention of his own: that we will not turn our backs on today’s talented young people, but that their hearts will be softened and they will return to St. Augustine’s and other churches.
He expressed hope that, when they are converted, they will pray, like St. Augustine, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
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