Posted: 10/17/06
St. Maryís to be among first to preview bible
An Introduction to the St. Johnís Bible will be presented at St. Maryís Catholic Church in Caledonia at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25.
The St. Johnís Bible is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press. It was commissioned by the Benedictine community of St. Johnís Abbey and University in Collegeville, MN. The Bible is being written and illuminated on giant, two feet tall sheets of vellum at a scriptorium in Wales using the same methods used by medieval scribes. But the translation (NRSV) and theological interpretation is modern.
The opening page for the New Testament, for example, depicts the genealogy of Jesus. But it also depicts the common ancestry for all People of the Book, Jews, Christians, and Muslims: Abraham and his two wives Sarah and Hagar. Genesis is illustrated with ancient rock wall paintings of people and animals and modern satellite images of the heavens.
The Bible is scheduled for completion in 2007, but major portions are completed and on exhibit during October in New York City and Washington, DC. On October 25 Tim Ternes of St. Johnís will be coming to St. Maryís Church in Caledonia to present a program on the St. Johnís Bible along with Diane Von Arx, a Houston County native, artist and calligrapher. Von Arx was part of the artistic team who worked on the Bible.
Through video, facsimile, projected images and a real page, participants at the program will be guided through the story of the St. Johnís Bible. Several artworks from the Bible will be explored through guided imagery discussions. Participants also get to handle material samples.
Following the program, visitors can view panels from the Bible during a social in Holy Family Hall. Von Arx will also be demonstrating how the Bible was written and illustrated.
St. Maryís Catholic Church is located at 513 S. Pine St., Caledonia. For more information about the program, contact Audrey Quanrud at the Parish Office, 507-725-3804, or go online to www.churchofstmary.net. More information about the St. Johnís Bible can be found online at www.stjohnsbible.org.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com