By Christina Hermoso
Vicar Forane Rev. Fr. Vicentico C. Flores, Jr. will preside over a concelebrated mass at 8 a.m. Monday, September 30, at the St. Jerome Parish Church in Morong, Rizal, in solemn commemoration of the Feast of Saint Jerome (San Geronimo), the greatest translator of the Holy Bible and the patron of theological learning, translators, and librarians.
Saint Jerome in the Desert by Bernardino Pinturicchio (Wikipedia / MANILA BULLETIN)
Masses will also be held at 6 a.m. and at 5:30 p.m.
In Duenas, Iloilo, the “Anihan” Festival will be celebrated in honor of its patron saint. Festivities will also be held in Tapaz, Capiz; and in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.
In ancient Latin Christianity, St. Jerome was considered as the second most voluminous writer, next to St. Augustine. Considered as the most learned of the Fathers of the Western Church, he was a brilliant scholar, bishop, and confessor.
The “Vulgata,” a translation of the Holy Scriptures from Greek and Hebrew into Latin, which took him 40 years to finish, is so far the only official translation of the Holy Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church.
Every year, particularly on his feast day, pilgrims and devotees visit the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, Italy where his sacred relics are kept.