College Receives 5th Volume of Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible
Click on the above image to see more photos of
The Saint John's Bible.Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 284-4579
May 30, 2012 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College recently received volume 2 of the rare Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible. The College now has five of the seven-volume set, completing the books of the Old Testament. Volume 2 is titled Historical Books and includes Joshua to 2 Maccabees. Volume 6, Gospels and Acts, and volume 7, Letters and Revelation, which are the books of the New Testament, will come later. The Bible is a generous gift from Saint Mary’s alumna Judy Rauenhorst Mahoney (’74), announced in the fall of 2010 when the first four volumes arrived. The five volumes are on display at the Cushwa-Leighton Library at Saint Mary's College.
The Saint John’s Bible is a handwritten and illuminated Bible that has taken a team of scribes and artists more than a decade to complete. It features 160 vibrant illuminations that include a blending of religious imagery from various traditions, cultures and creeds, as well as visuals from modern times. The illumination of a manuscript is a centuries-old practice where gold leaf is used to accent brightly colored illustrations. The intended effect is the gold, which reflects off the page, paired with the sacred word “reflects” God’s presence.
The Heritage Edition is a full-size, fine art reproduction of The Saint John’s Bible. The Bible is monumental in size. If all seven volumes were stacked on top of each other, the Bible would stand two feet tall. When opened, the two-page spread is three-feet wide. Producing The Saint John’s Bible began in 1998, when Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, commissioned world-renowned calligrapher and illuminator Donald Jackson to lead the project. It is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible to be commissioned by a Benedictine monastery since the advent of the printing press more than 500 years ago.
Public viewing information: The public is invited to view the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible at the Cushwa-Leighton Library at Saint Mary’s College. Click for library hours. To arrange a field trip or group viewing of the Bible, email library director Janet Fore or call her at (574) 284-5281.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2012 published by U.S.News and World Report. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.