Recognizing St. Jerome, Patron Saint of Translators and Interpreters

September 30, all over the world, is a day of celebration for Translators and Interpreters. We have our Patron Saint, St. Jerome, to thank: he was one of the few who achieved sainthood for his work rather than for an eminent sanctity or miracles. 

Born circa 347 CE, St. Jerome was recognized for his scholarly work, particularly his translations of the Bible. Previous translations used the Septuagint (also known as the Old Greek Testament) as the source text. Jerome went back to the original source in Hebrew to translate the Old and New Testaments into Latin. 

“This translation was recognized eleven centuries later by the Council of Trent as the official version of the Bible: the Vulgate,” according to the blog Musings from an Overworked Translator. 

Language professionals are often unrecognized, the unsung heroes of communication. On September 30, we can all be proud of our humble occupation and our contribution to help connect people across languages.