Born in the mid-4th century in what is now Croatia, his parents were Christians but, Jerome was not so quick to follow. 

In his early teens, he was sent to Rome to study grammar, philosophy, and rhetoric, a path that would likely have made him a lawyer, but along the way, he became quite accustomed to the pleasures of life in much the same way Augustine had. 

Though guilt over his sins weighed heavily on him, Jerome had a hard time changing his ways. Finally, his Christian friend, Boniface, convinced him to convert and he was Baptized by Pope Liberius. 

Jerome had a gift for learning and writing. A period of extensive studies at several schools gave him a broad ecclesiastical foundation and, ultimately, took him to a monastery overseen by Bishop St. Valerius, who had gathered a number of other Christian scholars, and it was here that he developed a great skill as a translator. 

During a severe illness that nearly took his life, Jerome had a number of visions, and after regaining his health spent four years as a hermit. 

He then traveled to The Holy Land where he met a woman named Paula, her daughter, and several of Paula’s followers. They settled in Bethlehem where they had a monastery. 

And it was here that Jerome finished the translation of the scriptures which he had started many years earlier. Especially important, was the translation of the bible. 

He died on this day in 420. 

St. Jerome, please pray for us.