Jerome, Saint (about 340-420), was a great Biblical scholar of the Christian church. His most important achievement was his Latin edition of the Bible. Jerome’s version, known as the Vulgate, served as the authorized translation of the Bible in the Roman Catholic Church for hundreds of years. Jerome produced many important religious works besides his Bible translation. In Against Jovinian (393-395), he defended chastity and the monastic life. In Famous Men (393-395), he listed 135 Christian authors and discussed their works. Jerome also wrote against the ideas of the British monk Pelagius and the early Christian philosopher Origen.
Jerome was born in Stridon in what is now Croatia. Jerome traveled to the Near East in the early 370’s, staying for a time at Antioch, Syria (now Turkey). In the 370’s, he lived for several years as a monk in the Syrian Desert. He then returned to Antioch and was ordained a priest there in 379.
In 382, Jerome moved to Rome, where he became secretary to Pope Damasus I. He left Rome after the pope’s death in 384 and settled in Bethlehem in 386. There, he and Saint Paula founded monasteries for men and women and established a resthouse for travelers. Jerome’s feast day is September 30.
