Trinity Health Of New England Welcomes the Saint John’s Bible

SPRINGFIELD — Trinity Health Of New England is honored to house one of 299 existing Heritage Editions of the Saint John’s Bible.

The Heritage Edition of the Saint John’s Bible consists of seven volumes. Each of the five Trinity Health Of New England main hospitals — Saint Francis Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Johnson Memorial Hospital, and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital — will house one of the seven volumes. The volumes will be displayed in public areas of the hospitals visible to visitors and guests in hopes to ignite their spiritual imagination as the Saint John’s Bible has done for so many around the world. Mercy Medical Center unveiled its volume on Dec. 4.

“The Saint John’s Bible is a work of art,” said Dr. Reginald Eadie, president and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England. “As a faith-based organization, we are incredibly grateful to our generous donors, our Saint John’s Bible benefactors and ambassadors, who have allowed us the rare opportunity to house this piece of history. We are honored to do so.”

The Heritage Edition of the Saint John’s Bible is a limited edition set of volumes, with just 299 sets in existence globally. The first set was presented to Pope Benedict XVI for the Vatican Library in April 2008.

A team of scribes and artists worked for more than a decade to complete the Bible, now considered a masterpiece of art and biblical scholarship. The artists, coordinated by Donald Jackson in Wales and a team of scholars in Central Minnesota, used the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination with an ecumenical Christian approach to the Bible rooted in Benedictine spirituality.

“The Saint John’s Bible is of interest to artists, scholars, students, theologians, and all who have an interest in experiencing a transformative work of artistic and spiritual discovery,” said Yvonne Boudreau, senior vice president for mission integration at Trinity Health Of New England. “We are thrilled to allow our visitors, patients, and their loved ones to be able to enjoy a tactile experience of such a unique symbol of faith and art.”

The Saint John’s Bible is the first such handcrafted Bible to be commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in 500 years. No project of its kind has been undertaken since the advent of the printing press in the 15th century.