Eventually, we all face this question: What was the impact of my life? Did I leave the world a better place than I found it?  Some take their last breath not knowing the answer to that question.   And there are others who actively push themselves… Read More

Heritage Edition sets of The Saint John’s Bible were made to be touched, held, paged-through, interacted with, and loved. Tim Ternes, Director of The Saint John’s Bible program at Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University can’t emphasize that enough. The Heritage Edition… Read More

Wondering what the Heritage Program is up to? Reference the list below to see where The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Program is off to ignite spiritual imaginations next. Events with Heritage Program August 14-18, 2023: Parliament of the World’s Religions, Chicago, IL September 20, 2023:… Read More

Permanently embedded along the rock face of Monte Taleo near Subiaco, Italy, the Sanctuary of Sacro Speco has remained a holy place of worship since the… Read More

The Heritage Program had much to celebrate in 2023. In just the past 12 months… Eight institutions or individuals welcomed a Heritage Edition and two new institutions welcomed an Apostles Edition into their faith communities or homes;   Thousands participated in various stops on the Dedication Tour to England… Read More

Hand-written, illuminated manuscripts from medieval times are the precursors of The Saint John’s Bible.  Most of them were never finished and many of the medieval Bible manuscripts we enjoy today are missing pages or entire sections—such as the Winchester Bible, upon which Donald Jackson based the design… Read More

Collegeville, Minnesota – 10 years. 20 years. 100 years. 500 years from now, the original manuscript of The Saint John’s Bible will most likely be bound in leather, to outlast the wearing of time. Imbued with care, the work was delicately crafted, written on calfskin vellum… Read More

Seattle, Washington – Though it’s not something we consider often, there are many different kinds of understanding in this world. Some ways of understanding live in the mind, as logic and reason do. And then there’s that other kind – that kind of wisdom that lives… Read More

Truly I tell you, just as you did it to ONE of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.  (Matthew 25:40) An often-forgotten word in scripture is the word “one” from the passage above.  Frequently I hear people quote this passage saying,… Read More

Coon Rapids, Minnesota – The year is 2006, and, unbeknownst to the world at large, some of the world’s greatest artists, calligraphers, and printers have come together to discuss what would become one of the greatest artistic and technological endeavors of the new millennium: reproducing 299 full-scale, true-to-form renditions of… Read More

University Park, Texas – There is a power in witnessing two of the most sacred historical texts side by side in one single glance. The vibrant pages of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition’s illumination titled “Vision of New Jerusalem,” resting open beside the fragile, sepia-toned pages of… Read More

Dear friends and stewards of the Heritage Program, Welcome to our new monthly e-newsletter, Sharing the Word! We’re excited to bring you this compilation of the ways The Saint John’s Bible continues to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world. Here’s what you can expect to find… Read More

Collegeville, Minnesota – Since it was commissioned 25 years ago, The Saint John’s Bible has touched millions of people around the world. Completed in 2011, it inspires. It heals. And, to its original intent, it brings people together. It’s this spirit – the spirit of bringing people together – that… Read More

Whoever said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover…” never met the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible, or the amazing people who bind this rare and wonderful work of sacred art. The binding, case, and box of the Heritage Edition are nothing short of a masterpiece—handmade with love… Read More

During August 2022, we took steps to more fully understand your engagement with The Saint John’s Bible to help us continue our mission to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world. We asked friends and Stewards to share thoughts and ideas about the Heritage Program through a short… Read More

Dear Friends, It is with deep gratitude and joy that I offer this mid-year update on the Heritage Program of The Saint John’s Bible. I’m pleased to report good news in virtually every area of our mission: to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world of all faith… Read More

Many retirees plan to spend their newfound leisure time golfing or gardening. But for Maureen and Kevin Crawford, an encounter with The Saint John’s Bible sparked inspiration for some very different plans. The couple has undertaken a unique project to share the Heritage Edition with clergy members and other friends… Read More

Father Eric Hollas, OSB, recalls his first conversation with Donald Jackson about what would become The Saint John’s Bible. The year was 1995, and the two had just given a joint presentation on calligraphy at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Over lunch, Jackson raised “his life’s ambition, which was to… Read More

June 18, 2011, was a historic day for The Saint John’s Bible—the date that the final crosses were embossed on the page and the work of the Bible’s creators was complete. Now, on the tenth anniversary of that day, members of the Saint John’s community are looking back in reflection… Read More

How do contemporary Christians understand Jesus’ resurrection? What is the nature of Jesus’ appearances to his disciples after the crucifixion and resurrection, and what do these appearances mean? Also, is Jesus coming back? If so, will he come back in a historical body? In her book Jesus Risen in our… Read More

Today is National Handwriting Day. To help celebrate the day, the Star Tribune was very gracious in publishing an op-ed written by Jim Triggs, executive director of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Program.  We hope you enjoy it.  (Please click the link below.) Human Touch Endures in… Read More

The Illuminate Series was launched in two parts on Thursday, September 24, 2020. Part one is a presentation Tim Ternes, director of The Saint John’s Bible, gave at Wayzata Community Church on Friday, September 18, 2020, in Wayzata, Minnesota. Working with a small group from five Twin Cities churches, Tim… Read More

The Heritage Program is excited to announce its new Illuminate Series.  This online lecture and webinar program allows Saint John’s and other institutions to share the best practices of using The Saint John’s Bible in academics, worship, healthcare, fine arts, and community outreach. Our first featured speaker is Tim Ternes.  Tim is the director… Read More

Because the Illuminate 2020 conference was canceled due to the pandemic, Saint John’s will offer a yearlong webinar and online presentation series for The Saint John’s Bible community.  Jim Triggs, executive director of the Heritage Program at Saint John’s University, provides an overview of the series.   In… Read More

Beyond the formal rituals that play an important role in our spiritual lives, the simple ones that are part of daily life help us through the day. For many of us, COVID-19 has derailed these rituals.  Our experience with students preparing to turn the pages of The Saint John’s Bible… Read More

Hosting original, handcrafted folios from The Saint John’s Bible is a luxury few places have enjoyed. The number of institutions that have done so twice is even smaller. Joslyn Art Museum is one of them, and The Saint John's Bible keeps visitors coming back "again and again." ... Read More

“Artists need to do art to be fully human,” says Rev. Nora Jacob. “They need to express themselves.” But what about artists who legally can’t? Whose situation prevents them not just from sharing their art with the world, but from even acquiring the tools to create it in the first… Read More

More than 100 locations around the world use the Heritage Edition to ignite the spiritual imagination of their communities in creative and engaging ways. Illuminate 2020—the first-ever conference focused on those who own or host The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition—is the ideal forum to learn how others have shared… Read More

The possibilities for enhancing faith outreach with The Saint John’s Bible are nearly infinite. We believe that the more communities are informed about the creation of this Bible, the better they can use it to complement their mission. Our Workshops, one of our most engaging educational offerings, bring together hosts and owners of the Heritage Edition for a firsthand look at how The Saint John’s Bible was made, carefully replicated and used to reach communities across the world. Read More

Many stories on this blog have featured communities participating in the Year with The Saint John’s Bible program. But how does this program actually work, and what do host communities gain from it? Saint John’s University has recently published new details about this unique program and the opportunities it offers… Read More

When open, a single volume of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition measures two feet tall by three feet wide. Its glimmering illuminations, themselves couched in the handwritten Word of God, are placed strategically to reflect light to the curious eyes that devour its pages. At Dunham Bible Museum,… Read More

Last week, Saint John’s University celebrated the one-year anniversary of The Saint John’s Bible Gallery – the permanent home of the original folios of The Saint John’s Bible. Located within the University’s Alcuin Library, the gallery provides an exhibition space for visitors to view the Bible and reflect on its… Read More

The Saint John’s Bible continues to ignite spiritual imaginations around the world thanks to the Heritage Edition and the Year With The Saint John’s Bible program. Here is an update on the communities sharing The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Editions.* *The following information represents a partial list that does not… Read More

The Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) at Saint John’s University is home to the original manuscript of The Saint John’s Bible. HMML’s mission is “to preserve and share the world’s handwritten past to inspire a deeper understanding of our present and future.