Saint Damasus I, Pope & Confessor
S. Damasi I Papae et Confessoris
Saint Damasus, Bishop of Rome in the fourth century, defended the true faith, honoured the memory of the martyrs, and commissioned the great Latin translation of the Scriptures.
Saint Damasus was born about the year 305, of a family devoted to the service of the Church, and served in the Roman clergy before being chosen as Bishop of Rome in the year 366. His pontificate of some eighteen years fell in an age of doctrinal strife, and he laboured faithfully to uphold the faith handed down from the Apostles.
A defender of the faith
Saint Damasus stood firmly against the errors of his day, especially the lingering Arianism that denied the full divinity of the Son, and against other false teachings concerning the Holy Spirit and the Person of Christ. He upheld the decrees of the great councils and worked to strengthen the bonds of communion among the Churches. Under his authority a Roman synod set forth the canon of the sacred Scriptures, and he laboured for the unity and purity of the faith throughout the Christian world.
It was Saint Damasus who entrusted to his learned secretary, Saint Jerome, the task of revising and translating the Holy Scriptures into Latin, the labour that gave the Church the Vulgate, her Bible for many centuries. He also held the Roman Church to be the See of Peter, to which the care of all the Churches pertains.
Honouring the martyrs
Saint Damasus had a tender devotion to the martyrs whose tombs lay in the catacombs of Rome. He sought out and adorned their resting-places, and composed elegant verse inscriptions in their honour, that the faithful might remember and venerate those who had given their lives for Christ. He died in the year 384. His feast on the eleventh of December honours a pope who guarded the faith, served the Word of God, and cherished the memory of the saints.
The Collect
Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Damasus thy Supreme Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.
Gregem tuum, Pastor ætérne, placátus inténde: et, per beátum Dámasum Summum Pontíficem, perpétua protectióne custódi; quem totíus Ecclésiæ præstitísti esse pastórem.
Patronage
He is honoured as a patron of archaeologists and of those who study and venerate the tombs of the martyrs.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar his feast is observed on 11 December as an optional memorial.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Damasus?
His feast is kept on 11 December in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Third Class feast during Advent.
Who was Saint Damasus?
He was Bishop of Rome from 366 to 384, a defender of the orthodox faith against Arianism. He commissioned Saint Jerome’s Latin translation of the Bible, the Vulgate, and honoured the martyrs of the Roman catacombs.
What is his connection to the Vulgate?
Saint Damasus entrusted Saint Jerome with the revision and translation of the Scriptures into Latin. This work became the Vulgate, which served as the Church’s standard Bible for many centuries.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
These pages are offered with love for the saints and for all who seek them. If anything here should need correcting, we humbly beg your pardon and ask your help — kindly write to [email protected], and we will mend it as soon as we can.
Receive the coming feasts, Mass times, and reflections from our community — sent with care, never spam.