WOMEN IN SCIENCE 333 



— if not the greatest — social factors in good government and 

 conservative progress in this fair land of ours. 



The graduates of Catholic schools and colleges, viewing the 

 moral, material and spiritual progress made by their Church 

 in these United States, can take heart for this century of 

 hastening progress, and claim their own, as part of the edu- 

 cated and intellectual world. In doing so, it will be no new 

 thing ; they will be merely coming into their own again. 



I wonder if the graduates here recognize the magnificent 

 record of educated and intellectual women in the history of 

 the Church and its activities. Of course, we all know the 

 sainted women commemorated on the altar and enshrined in 

 legend, but it is not often that we recall the others who were 

 renowned for their intellectual abilities, as well as the fact 

 that it was only in Catholic countries and under Catholic rule 

 that women kept up their intellectual development to the ut- 

 most. Our expansion and revival of women's colleges in the 

 latter part of the nineteenth century is not so new as we think. 



In the early Christian Rome, of the time of St. Jerome, 

 there was the famous Ecclesia Domestica, upon the Aventine 

 Hill. It was one of the earliest conventual homes, in which 

 were gathered some of the most noble and learned women of 

 the day. There were the learned Marcella, and her compan- 

 ions, Paula and her daughter, Eustochium. These women 

 were not only acquainted with the Latin and Greek literature 

 and philosophy, but became proficient in Hebrew and deeply 

 versed in the Scriptures. They assisted St. Jerome in his 

 translation of the Bible, which we call the Vulgate. In one 

 of his letters he submitted his version of the Books of Kings to 

 them for criticism, and accepted some modifications which they 

 suggested. 



Not only did the Vulgate version of the Bible have the as- 

 sistance and criticism of these women in its making, but the 

 Book of Psalms, recited in the daily offices of the Church, is 

 for the most part the work of Paula and her daughter, Eusto- 

 chium. St. Jerome dedicated some of his works to them, say- 

 ing: "There are people, O Paula and Eustochium, who take 

 oflFense at seeing your names at the beginning of my works." 

 So you see, he appreciated the aid of women, even in those 

 early days, and the sisters around you, whenever they repeat 

 the office, renew their monumental work. 



