A Doctor of the Church, Saint Jerome was born in Dalmatia. He studied in Rome and was baptized there. Drawn to the contemplative life, he lived a monastic life in the Syrian desert and was ordained a priest. Returning to Rome, he served as secretary to Pope Damasus. He then retired to Bethlehem and devoted himself to the study of the Bible, which he translated into Latin, "the Vulgate". He died in 420 AD.