Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

I would truly be remiss if I didn’t pause and give praise to my patron, Saint Jerome, on this, his feast day September 30. There are no “Jeromes” in my family – I was named by a parish priest. My mother wanted to name me after my father “Harry,” but the priest informed my mother that Harry was a pagan name (little did my father know!). The priest told her that her newborn son should have the name of a saint and Jerome was a wonderful Scripture scholar and early Church Father. My mother agreed, so the rest is history. From that time on, I was always referred to by my parents, family and lifelong friends as Jerome – never Jerry. Jerry came much later, after I was ordained. So, you can tell who have been my lifelong friends or relatives when they refer to me as Jerome. Actually, the Latin for Jerome is Hieronymus and a derivative could be Harry.

Saint Jerome was born around 340 AD. His greatest contribution was, of course, the Latin Vulgate, which is used by the Church to this very day. His scholarship is undeniable. He was secretary to Pope Damasus until the pope’s death, after which he was forced to leave Rome and went to the Holy Land. He had the heart of a monk, which contributed to his scholarship and allowed him to contemplate the Scriptures. Jerome would say that if a person does not know Scripture, then he does not know Jesus.

“Butler’s Lives of the Saints” describes him as one of the most learned, most difficult, and most restless and combative of all the saints in the Church’s calendar. A favorite professor, when I was a student in Theology at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Ill., was Sister Agnes Cunningham. She was a brilliant patristic professor and her area of expertise was the early Church Fathers. Jerome was one of the great Church Fathers but he had a somewhat problematic personality. Sister Cunningham said that the other Church Fathers referred to him as “ugly and irascible.” Being the only Jerome in her class, she would look at me with all kindness and say “not like our Jerome.”

Saint Jerome was passionate about his opinions and being bright, his tongue would often get him into trouble. Whenever a young man who is being confirmed takes the name Jerome, I tell him that our patron was described as “ugly and irascible,” which means that we must create a balance for him by being “beautiful and approachable” (well, in my case at least approachable).

Jerome had a wonderful appreciation for women and they supported him. Many of his study and religious groups were comprised of women. In an age where women certainly wouldn’t have occupied positions of power Jerome recognized their intelligence and the power of their witness (three saints were close collaborators: St. Paula, St. Asella, and St. Eustochium). I like that about my patron. I must admit that my own priestly and episcopal life would be impoverished without the assistance of tremendously talented and generous women, who are great witnesses.

What made Jerome a saint, was that the Scriptures were not merely a book to study but the reflection of a living Christ and His words a mandate on his life. “Butler’s Lives of the Saints” related an incident after Rome was sacked. Jerome put aside his studies of Scripture to assist the refugees who were fleeing: “I cannot help the all but I grieve and weep with them. Completely involved in the activities charity imposes on me, I have set aside my commentary on Ezekiel and almost all study. For today we must translate the words of Scriptures into deed, and instead of speaking saintly words we must act them.”

Today, I offer my prayers for the priests and laymen of our archdiocese named Jerome and for St. Jerome Parish in Oconomowoc on their patronal feast.

Instead of speaking saintly words, we must act on them, therefore let us LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the September 30, 2014 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.