Friday, 30 October 2026By 2J Jayden Lai
To further understand Catholicism, The School had given S2 students an opportunity to visit St Jerome’s Church in Tin Shui Wai. S2 students also treasured this opportunity to learn about the life of St Jerome and admire the murals in the church.
Students first listened to the guide’s introduction and came to understand deeply the pivotal incident in St Jerome’s life. St Jerome was born in 342. He was a Doctor of the Church and had been secretary to the Pope. He was an enthusiast of Greek and Latin. After God rebuked St Jerome, he reflected on himself and began translating the Bible into Latin. The key message of St Jerome is “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” This means that the Bible is crucial to the Catholic faith.
The most wonderful parts are the murals and statues of the church. When we entered the church, the relief of Jesus was the most attractive. The crack in the cross means that Jesus beat death. The letter ‘C’ stands for Cosmos. It shows Jesus overcoming death and rising again.
On the right-hand side of the church are six stained-glass windows, referring to the six days of God’s creation. The fifth window in particular features a rainbow. It refers to God’s first covenant with human beings.
As a Catholic School, visiting churches is a good opportunity to understand Catholicism and recognise God. From last year’s ‘Root of Shung Tak’ visit to St Peter and Paul Church to this year’s visit to St Jerome’s Church, both visits have allowed students to recognise the faith better and more deeply.
For me, after visiting the church and learning about the life of St Jerome, I was given a chance to reflect on myself. St Jerome’s words, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ,” made me realise how little time I actually spend reading the Bible. I admit that I often treat it as a school task rather than a way to know God better. Seeing how St Jerome devoted his whole life to translating the Bible, I feel ashamed that I have taken God’s Word for granted. I should be willing to accept corrections and improve myself, instead of making excuses. This visit has inspired me to build the habit of reading the Bible daily, not just to thank St Jerome for his efforts and deeds, but to truly grow closer to God, to follow his example, and to live out my faith, starting with small steps in my daily life.
