Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/101
originally written on parchment, were recopied by the monks of the Order of St. Benedict, who were ever desirous of increasing and preserving the works of the Ancient Classic writers.
After teaching as instructor at St. Procopius College during the years 1921 to 1924, the Rev. John F. Cherf resumed his studies at the State University to complete his work for the doctorate. He now limited himself to the study of the manuscript-tradition of St. Jerome’s Life of St. Paul, the Hermit, as the first part of a larger work, which is to comprise the text and manuscript-tradition of St. Jerome’s Lives of Sts. Paul, Hilarion and Malchus. It was necessary to secure photographs of the ancient manuscripts now in possession of European libraries.
Having difficulty in getting the desired material and information from Europe, he found it necessary to visit the European libraries. The Bohemain Benedictines accepted his suggestion and granted him leave to make the trip. For fourteen weeks he visited the libraries of England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia, where he studied the original manuscripts. He arranged for the photographing of many of them and now has at his disposal the photographic reproductions of 179 manuscripts.
After diligent study and hard work he completed his thesis in the early part of 1927, which he presented to the Classic Department of the Illinois University. When his dissertation was accepted and he passed the final examination successfully, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred upon him at the Commencement Exercises. At present Rev. J. F. Cherf, O.S.B., is a member of the faculty of St. Procopius College, and at the same time is devoting himself to a further study of the manuscripts of the lives of Sts. Hilarion and Malchus, which together with the life of St. Paul will be published in collaboration with