St Jerome

St Jerome, a Scripture Scholar per excellence, a Priest, Monk, Doctor of the Church, Confessor,  and a  Historian.
He was the Son of Eusebius, born at Stridon in Italy around 347 AD, and  baptized about 360. He then went to Rome to pursue Rhetorical and philosophical studies and there learned Latin and Greek languages. In 363 he travelled to Antioch with some friends. Two of them died and he himself became sick. He had a vision that led him to lay aside his secular studies, devoted himself to God and plunged himself into the study of the Scripture.
He desired to live Monastic life and so went to a Syrian Desert southeast of Anthioch where he dwelled,  studied Hebrew and found the Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew and translated it into Greek.
He returned to Antioch in 378 and was ordained a Priest by Bishop Paulinus. In 382 he returned to Rome and appointed as Secretary to Pope Damasus I
St Jerome is well known for his work of translating the Bible from the Original languages; Hebrew and Aramaic to Latin called the Vulgate.
He is often quoted as saying that: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ".
In order to encourage everybody to read the Bible, he said: "The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom."
Placing the truth of the Scripture above every other truth, he said: "Seek to learn on earth those truths which will remain ever valid in Heaven”.
On communication with God, he said: "When we pray we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us".
With regards to peace of soul, he counsels: "Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.”
After the death of Pope Damasus, he returned to Antioch and was joined by the widow Paula and some other ladies who had left Rome with the aim of settling in the Holy Land. With the financial help of Paula, he established a monastery for men near the Basilica of the Nativity of Jesus at Bethlehem and also houses for three communities of women.
He wrote a Book in defence of the doctrine of  the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary against one Helvidius, who had maintained that Mary had not remained always a virgin but had had other children by St. Joseph, after the birth of Christ. This heresy was brought up again by a certain Jovinian, who had been a monk. Paula's son-in-law, Pammachius, sent some of this heretical writings to Jerome, and he, in 393, wrote two books against Jovinian. In them, he described the excellence of virginity. In the third, he also wrote to defend Marriage as good and ordained by God.
He defended the virtue of Celibacy and the veneration of the relics of Saints
He attacked worldly women who painted their cheeks, their eyelids, load their heads with other people's hair thereby making them looking like idols.
He died near Bethlehem on 30th September 420. He is one of the four Doctors of the Latin Church along with Augustine, Ambrose and Gregory I
He is the Patrone Saint of archeologists; archivists; Bible scholars; librarians; libraries; school children; students; translators

Padre Pio

Memorial of Padre Pio
Today we celebrate the Memorial of a wonderful and mysterious saint, St Pio of Pietrelcina popularly known as Padre Pio. He is loved throughout the world for the great and numerous miracles he worked while on earth and he is working from Heaven.
He was born on 25th May 1887 in Pietralcina, Italy. He joined the Capuchin Friars Minor in 1907.
He received the gift of Stigmata on 20th September, 1918. He had the wounds in his palms, his feet and his side that corresponded to the wounds that Jesus Christ suffered during crucifixion.
He was graced with the "Ordor of Sanctity". He also had the gift of "Bilocation"; being in two places at the same time, like saying mass in one place and hearing confession in another place at the same time.
One of the great Miracles of Padre Pio was the protection and conversion of a soldier who was to be executed by firing squad. At the request of his wife for protection and conversion from Padre Pio, the mysterious Priest appeared at the scene of the execution and shielded her husband. Every effort to open fire on him failed until they freed him and pardoned him. He came home, converted to the Catholic Church.
On our Lady, St Pio said: "love the Madonna and pray her Rosary, for the Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today... All  graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother"
He died on September 23rd, 1968. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Rome on 2nd May, 1999. During his beatification, the Pope himself testified that Padre Pio had prophesied that he would become a Pope.
On June 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio at St Peter's Square, Rome. The Pope laid emphasis on Padre Pio's witness to suffering. The Holy Father stressed that if accepted with love, such suffering can lead to a privileged path of sanctity. His Feast occurs on 23rd of September.