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Manuscript Introduction This Saturday
Grace Episcopal Church will be hosting a copy of one volume of “The Saint John’s Bible,” the first illuminated, handwritten bible to be commissioned by a Benedictine abbey in more than 500 years, during the months of February, March and April.
The church is inviting interested members of clergy, community churches, and the community at large to an informal introduction of the manuscript from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18.
At the event, the director of The St. John’s Bible Heritage Program will be available to answer questions about the bible’s creation and what it represents for the communities it visits. Director Brad Neary of Saint John’s Abbey & University in Collegeville, Minn., frequently travels with volumes of the bible as they make their way to churches and other institutions around the country and worldwide.
The volume of the bible that will be on display and available for groups to visit during its three-month “season” at Grace Episcopal is Volume VII, which contains the four Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the Acts of the Apostles.
Neary will also be conducting a training session for volunteers who will serve as docents during the volume’s stay. Members of the community, including student and church groups, will be encouraged to schedule visits to spend time with the volume, learn more about its history, and engage in interactive activities including reading from and examining its exquisite illuminated pages.
As he travels with volumes of the “The St. John’s Bible,” Neary shares the story of how Saint John’s Abbey & University in 1998 commissioned this unique work of scripture and sacred art as a gift to the world for the new millennium. The 1,150-page manuscript was created by Donald Jackson, former senior scribe to Her Royal Majesty the Late Queen Elizabeth II Crown Office, along with a small collaborative team of scribes and artists. Traditional materials were used, including vellum, ancient inks, precious metals and quill pens fashioned from goose, turkey and swan feathers.
In an effort to fully realize the mission of “The Saint John’s Bible” – to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world on all faith journeys – a full-sized, fine art printed Heritage Edition was produced using cutting-edge 21st-century technology. Only 299 of the resulting seven-volume sets were crafted, bound in Italian leather and featuring the intricate calligraphy, vibrant imagery and powerful embossed illuminations inspired by the original.
Saturday’s event will held in the church at 123 W. Washington St. Visitors may drop in or remain during the informal two-hour session. For more information, call the church office at (540) 4634981.
