Loyola University Maryland and College of Notre Dame of Maryland invite the Greater Baltimore/Washington community to a Lenten celebration at the Baltimore Basilica, featuring the magnificent St. John’s Bible. With illumination and text selected from the book of the Prophets, the evening will feature lectio divina meditation and a joint performance of the Loyola and Notre Dame choirs with selections from Psalms and Benedictine chant. (Lectio divina is a traditional method of Scripture reading practiced by monastics since the beginning of the Church).
The event will be held Tuesday, April 5, from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Basilica, followed by a reception at the Catholic Center (visit www.baltimorebasilica.org for directions and parking information). Attendance is free, but reservations are requested, as space will be limited. To reserve your seat, visit www.loyola.edu/joinus/stjohnsbible.
The Saint John’s Bible is a magnificent work of art, handwritten and illuminated in the tradition of the monasteries of the Middle Ages. The painstaking exploration of faith is the first handcrafted Bible commissioned by a Benedictine abbey in more than 500 years. The limited-edition reproduction faithfully reflects the original work, which is handwritten and illuminated on calfskin vellum using quills, hand-ground pigments, natural inks, and 24-carat gold leaf gild. Although created with traditional techniques, the St. John’s Bible is a contemporary work—combining ancient scripture and symbolism with contemporary and world images, themes, and technological advances. The result is breathtaking and inspirational.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library is currently home to the first four completed volumes of the seven-volume St. John’s Bible. When finished, the Saint John's Bible will contain more than 160 illuminations and countless text treatments and marginalia in seven distinct books: Pentateuch, Historical Books, Psalms, Wisdom Books, Prophets, Gospels and Acts, and Letters and Revelation. The acquisition was made possible through a generous gift from the Mangione family, in memory of the late Nicholas Mangione.
For additional event information, please contact Melinda Timlen at 410-532-3179 or mtimlen@ndm.edu.
Image: Ten Commandments, Thomas Ingmire, Copyright 2003, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, Copyright 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For more information or questions regarding this story, contact Media Relations Manager Nick Alexopulos at nalexopulos@loyola.edu or 410-617-5025.