Who was Saint Jerome?

• Lived about 347 to 420
• Born in Stridon, Dalmatia
• Priest, Scripture scholar, translator
• Translated the Bible into Latin

Who was Saint Jerome?

Jerome was born in Stridon, a town on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia. The exact place is uncertain, and the town later fell into ruin. His family sent him to Rome for study. There, amid the city’s schools and busy streets, his life began to turn.

In Rome, Jerome studied grammar and the works of classical writers. He was baptized there, probably in his early twenties. The choice marked a new direction for the young student. He kept learning, but Christian questions began to occupy more of his mind. Soon he left Rome for further study.

After traveling east, Jerome settled for a time in the desert near Chalcis. He lived simply and studied with fierce concentration. There he learned Hebrew, a language of the Old Testament. The work was demanding, and he later wrote about the difficulty of learning it. That effort would shape his life.

In Rome, Pope Damasus asked Jerome to revise the Latin Gospels. Copies of the text differed, and careful comparison mattered. Jerome worked from Greek manuscripts to prepare a clearer Latin version. His task joined close study with service to the Church. When Damasus died, Jerome’s position in Rome became difficult.

Jerome left Rome and settled in Bethlehem, near the place Christians honor as the birthplace of Jesus. Paula and Eustochium, two women devoted to Christian life, helped establish monasteries and a guesthouse there. Jerome made his home close by. He began the long work of translating Scripture from Hebrew.

Jerome’s work brought arguments as well as admirers. He wrote forcefully in disputes about Christian teaching, and some readers found his sharp manner hard to bear. Yet he kept studying and explaining the Bible. In Bethlehem, his small room became a place of ceaseless writing, correction, and prayerful attention.

Jerome died in Bethlehem, near the cave honored as the birthplace of Christ. For years he had revised and translated biblical books, drawing on Hebrew and Greek texts. His Latin work became known as the Vulgate and served the Western Church for centuries. His final home stood beside the Nativity cave.

What can we learn from Saint Jerome today?

• Read a short passage of Scripture, then look up one word you do not understand.
• Compare two translations of a verse, and notice what each makes clearer.
• Write one line about how today’s Gospel calls you to act.

Jerome’s scholarship grew from a desire to understand God’s word and serve the Church. His work reminds us that reading Scripture takes patience, humility, and care. We can follow his example in small ways, returning to the text and letting its message guide our choices.

When is the feast day of Saint Jerome?

Saintly remembers Saint Jerome on September 30, when the story above is the saint of the day in the app. Read how the Church declares someone a saint, or how to choose a patron saint.

Sources

• Catholic Encyclopedia
• General Audience of 14 November 2007: Saint Jerome (2), Pope Benedict XVI
• General Audience of 7 November 2007: Saint Jerome (1), Pope Benedict XVI
• Scripturae sacrae affectus, Pope Francis
• Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Christian East, Edward G. Farrugia
• Spiritus Paraclitus, Pope Benedict XV
• De Viris Illustribus (On Illustrious Men), Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (Jerome of Stridon or St. Jerome)
• Butler's Lives of the Saints: Volume III, Alban Butler

Previous: Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels Next: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus · All saints