Saint of the Day: St Jerome
The patron of cranky scholars, librarians, and anyone who has ever lost their temper over a translation.
30 September
Jerome spent thirty years in a cave near Bethlehem translating the Bible into Latin, and by every surviving account he was difficult the entire time. He fought with almost everyone he corresponded with. He is the patron saint of translators, librarians, and scholars, and he is proof that sanctity does not require an easy temperament.
For the table
Bread and honey — Jerome wrote about the sweetness of Scripture more than once, and it is the least complicated feast day food in the whole calendar.
For the children
Give them a page of something written in a language they don't read and ask them to guess what it says. Then tell them Jerome did that for thirty years, on purpose, in a cave.
The full Saint of the Day archive is open to everyone. Printable feast day cards for September are in the members' archive.
