Who he was
Damasus grew up in Rome in the service of the church of St Lawrence; his father Antonius was probably from Spain, and his mother was named Laurentia. He was elected in October 366 by a large majority, but a minority set up the deacon Ursinus as a rival, and years of violent disorder followed before the emperor upheld Damasus.
What he is remembered for
He defended the faith against several heresies, sent legates to the Council of Constantinople in 381, and proclaimed the canon of the New Testament at a Roman synod. He asked St Jerome, his secretary, to revise the Latin Bible, the work that became the Vulgate. He is also loved for his devotion to the martyrs: he restored the catacombs and wrote verse epitaphs for their tombs, many of which survive.
He is honoured by the Church as Saint. Read his page in the dictionary of saints.
Sources
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