The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary is an apologetic work of Saint Jerome. It is an answer to Helvidius. Helvidius was the author of a work written about the year 383 against the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary.

Against Helvidius by St. Jerome, one of the doctors of the Church, addresses the perpetual virginity of Mary, Mother of God.

The perpetual virginity of Mary is a Marian doctrine, taught by the Catholic Church and held by a number of groups in Christianity, which asserts that Mary (the mother of Jesus) was "always a virgin, before, during and after the birth of Jesus Christ."

From the cross Jesus gave us his mother to be our mother, too: a singularly holy model, consoler, and intercessor for our spiritual journey. Yet most Protestants, and too many Catholics don't understand the role that God wants her to play in our lives. In Behold Your Mother, Tim Staples takes you through the Church's teachings about the Blessed Virgin Mary, showing their firm Scriptural and historical roots and dismantling the objections of those who mistakenly believe that Mary competes for the attention due Christ alone. Combining the best recent scholarship with a convert's in-depth knowledge of the arguments, Staples has assembled the most thorough and useful Marian apologetic you'll find anywhere. Relevant and essential -- Mary matters. Read Behold Your Mother and find out just how much.

St. Jerome (347 - 420) wrote this work against Helvidius, who stated that because gospels spoke of Christ having "sisters" and "brethren," then clearly the Virgin Mary must have had further children from Joseph, her husband. He supported this view from the writings of Tertullian (d. 220) and others. The issue was a contentious one in the early church and a number of councils were held in Asia Minor to establish the role of Mary in the divine economy of Christ. It is believed that Helvidius wrote his statements about the year 383 AD. Jerome gives a very scripture-based defense of the church teaching of his time, in Latin, insisting that Mary remained chaste before and after the birth of Christ. Interesting in its own right, this essay also gives a remarkable insight into debates of the early church. The source text used here is: A select library of Nicene and post-Nicene fathers of the Christian Church / Second series. Vol. 6, Letters. (Select works) / Jerome, Oxford: Parker. 1893. St. Jerome (d. 420); Henry Wace (1836-1924); Philip Schaff (1819-1893). The text has been enlarged to make it easier to read, and illustrations of the people and Biblical figures mentioned in the text have been added.

Grow more deeply in your relationship with God by knowing Mary more intimately. Let's explore the meaning behind the four Marian dogmas: Mother of God, Perpetual Virginity, Immaculate Conception, and her Assumption into Heaven. About the Series Faith Basics are concise explanations of various dimensions of the Catholic Faith aimed at a popular audience. They both inform and inspire readers to understand and live the Faith. Their convenient size makes them readily portable. They are economically priced and thus are ideal for distribution in evangelization efforts, RCIA classes, study groups, and various outreach programs.

In this short volume St. Jerome counters the assertion of the monk Helvidius, that the Virgin Mary and her spouse St. Joseph had carnal relations following the birth of Christ.