Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Religion and Faith
Kirsti Marohn
Collegeville, Minn.

Rare St. John's Bible editions headed to England

Open Bible
The St. John’s Bible was commissioned in 1998, and created under the artistic direction of calligrapher Donald Jackson of Wales. It was completed in 2011. 
Courtesy of St. John's Bible Heritage Program

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

It’s been 25 years since St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., commissioned the first handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press.

To commemorate the anniversary, St. John’s is presenting rare reproductions of the tome to institutions in the Church of England.

A team is traveling to the United Kingdom this week to present the Bibles to three sites: Lambeth Palace Library, Canterbury Cathedral and Sarum College.

The St. John’s Bible was commissioned in 1998, and created under the artistic direction of calligrapher Donald Jackson of Wales. It was completed in 2011. 

It was created with all medieval techniques, on vellum using quills and hand-ground inks and illuminated with gold and silver leaf, said the Rev. John Ross, executive director of the St. John’s Bible Heritage Program.

Ross said the trip aims to bring the masterpiece home to its creative birthplace, and also to help bridge religious divides.

“In this day and age where we see religious conflict literally taking the lives of thousands of people, we have a counter story that says people of different religious stripes can actually come together around something,” he said. “In this case, it’s a thing of beauty that brings people together from different traditions.”

The original manuscript is housed at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library on the St. John’s campus in Collegeville.

An apostles’ edition will be presented to the Lambeth Palace Library. Only 12 apostles’ editions exist, and they’re valued at $1 million each, Ross said. Others are at the Vatican, the Library of Congress and the Morgan Library & Museum in New York.

Two heritage editions, each worth $185,000, will be given to Sarum College and Canterbury Cathedral. 

A financial donation from an American couple made the gifts possible, Ross said. Proceeds from the sale of the St. John’s Bible are being used to fund the preservation costs of the original manuscript and to start a scholarship fund, he said.