Saint John’s Bible prints are on display during August

Benedictine Sister Carol Falkner, administrator of the Benedict Inn Retreat and Conference Center in Beech Grove, looks at a print of an illustration for the Book of Genesis from The Saint John’s Bible exhibit on Aug. 2. The exhibit features artwork and calligraphy by Welsh artist Donald Jackson as well as an exhibit of historic religious manuscripts on loan from John Lawrence of Evansville, Ind., who is an art conservator and consultant on Medieval and Renaissance artifacts. The Bible exhibit is free and on display from Aug. 6-29. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

BEECH GROVE—Seventeen magnificent contemporary prints of ornately illustrated manuscript pages from The Saint John’s Bible are on display from Aug. 6-29 at the Benedict Inn Retreat and Conference Center.

The Sisters of St. Benedict of Our Lady of Grace Monastery, who operate the retreat ministry at 1402 Southern Ave., invite the public to view this free, one-of-a-kind Scripture exhibit as well as participate in related workshops, lectures and other events that require various fees during August.

This exhibit of framed prints features copies of some of the manuscript pages from the hand-written and hand-illuminated Bible created by Donald Jackson, an internationally renowned Welsh artist, illuminator, calligrapher and longtime scribe to Queen Elizabeth’s crown office in England.

Jackson was commissioned by the Benedictine monks of Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., in 1998 to create The Saint John’s Bible, which is believed to be the first hand-written and hand-illuminated Bible created since the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440.

Working with his artistic team, Jackson used techniques introduced centuries ago by iconographers to create this modern manuscript from hand-ground inks—colors sometimes made from egg yolks or highlighted by gold, silver and platinum—for the illuminations and calligraphy drawn with goose quills on calf-skin vellum.

Prints made of the original and extremely valuable Bible manuscript pages have been framed for display and published in books that are available for sale at the exhibit.

The Saint John’s Bible exhibit is open during August on Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and again from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. as well as on Sundays from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the Benedict Inn.

Jackson’s work has been described in publicity materials as “a monumental achievement and historic undertaking” of “a major artistic, cultural and spiritual endeavor,” and “a once-in-a-millennium project.”

After more than a decade of precise illumination and calligraphy work on the Old Testament and New Testament books of this extraordinary Bible, Jackson and his team are currently completing the intricate artwork depicting the Book of Revelation.

Benedictine Sister Carol Falkner, administrator of the Benedict Inn, said the exhibit will be of interest to people who love Scripture and religious art, appreciate artistry created with quills or are curious about this fascinating manuscript.

“It means a lot to [the sisters] to host this exhibit because it is inherent in our tradition,” Sister Carol said. “We came from the tradition of the scribes, and the Benedictine monks would have been the ones that kept alive many of the manuscripts in the ancient times.

“The Benedictine monastery of St. John’s in Minnesota commissioned Donald Jackson to do this beautiful work,” she said. “He lives in Wales and has a team of calligraphers working with him. … [The Bible] has seven volumes, and he is working on the last volume. He created the actual script that they have used [for the calligraphy], … and is holding the last 10 pages of [the Book of] Revelation to do himself because he wants to complete it. The last word will be ‘Amen.’ That is very significant to him. It has been a 10-year project, one decade of his life. To have the monks commission him [to create this Bible] was a dream come true for him, and it has been a huge undertaking.”

Benedictine Sister Joan Marie Massura, program director for the Benedict Inn, said Jackson met with Scripture scholars and theologians throughout the lengthy process of creating the illustrated contemporary manuscript of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

The Benedictine monks received grants and donations for this extensive project, Sister Carol said, and are selling six volumes of books featuring the prints and calligraphy to help defray the cost.

“I have worked for about five years to bring this exhibit to the Benedict Inn,” Sister Joan Marie said. “It has not been displayed in this area. I think of this Bible as an icon, and the presence of God is in the icon. Donald Jackson said that when he works on the manuscript pages he feels that he is in the presence of God.”

Visitors are encouraged to pray before the framed prints, she said, a form of prayer known as Visio Divina.

“We hope people will experience the presence of God,” Sister Joan Marie said, “in the presence of this beautiful religious artwork and illumination.”

Jackson has described the elaborate Saint John’s Bible project as “the living Word of God,” Sister Carol said. “You can look at the prints and see ever-new things. It’s so amazing how much [imagery] is contained in just one illustration.”

Special activities offered during August include presentations by the Benedictine sisters and several art scholars, including John Lawrence of Evansville, Ind., an art conservator and consultant on Medieval and Renaissance artifacts, who loaned historic pieces from his personal collection of religious artwork to the sisters for a second special exhibit at the Benedict Inn during August.

(For more information about the variety of programs and activities related to The Saint John’s Bible exhibit during August, see page 6 or call the Benedict Inn Retreat and Conference Center at 317-788-7581 or log on to the center’s Web site at www.benedictinn.org.) †