Jesuit collection on display
Maura Quigley
Issue date: 2/8/08 Section: News
Deep within the Foley Center library, between the endless rows of bookshelves and the scholarly students, reside precious and ancient treasures of the past. These "Treasures of the Vault" can only be found on the third floor of the Foley Center, nestled in a public, yet unfamiliar place to many students: the Cowles Rare Books room.
Its public debut on Feb. 4, the Special Books Collection's new exhibition, "Treasures of the Vault: Rare Books from the Jesuit Heritage," is now on display for any individual who wishes to discover it.
"To be able to be so close to something which is centuries old is such a special feeling," said Dr. Catherine Tkacz, the curator of the exhibit and special consultant to Father Spitzer for the rare books and manuscripts exhibit.
The exhibit contains more than 3,000 historical volumes, relating directly to Jesuit historical events, intellectual study and evangelization. These artifacts from the past comprise medieval manuscripts and articles some of which date to the 15th century. One such treasure, a Roman Missal from 1484, is one of only three copies in the world.
Another treasure is one of the earliest copies of the English Bible. The complete works of Voltaire, the full edition of the works of Martin Luther, and Thomas Aquinas' commentary on Aristotle's "De anima", the only copy in existence, are just a few more of the artifacts to explore and discover.
"All these books and manuscripts truly demonstrate the range of the Jesuit intellectual and spiritual interests throughout history," Tkacz said. "The strong relationship between learning and evangelization throughout their history is very apparent through all of these works."
Documents such as the catechism translated into the Kootenai Indian language, as well as the marble edges of medieval Dominican missals, represent the unity among learning, art and evangelization which has characterized Jesuit history. It is the same intellectual and rigorous approach continues to mark the Jesuit tradition.
Its public debut on Feb. 4, the Special Books Collection's new exhibition, "Treasures of the Vault: Rare Books from the Jesuit Heritage," is now on display for any individual who wishes to discover it.
"To be able to be so close to something which is centuries old is such a special feeling," said Dr. Catherine Tkacz, the curator of the exhibit and special consultant to Father Spitzer for the rare books and manuscripts exhibit.
The exhibit contains more than 3,000 historical volumes, relating directly to Jesuit historical events, intellectual study and evangelization. These artifacts from the past comprise medieval manuscripts and articles some of which date to the 15th century. One such treasure, a Roman Missal from 1484, is one of only three copies in the world.
Another treasure is one of the earliest copies of the English Bible. The complete works of Voltaire, the full edition of the works of Martin Luther, and Thomas Aquinas' commentary on Aristotle's "De anima", the only copy in existence, are just a few more of the artifacts to explore and discover.
"All these books and manuscripts truly demonstrate the range of the Jesuit intellectual and spiritual interests throughout history," Tkacz said. "The strong relationship between learning and evangelization throughout their history is very apparent through all of these works."
Documents such as the catechism translated into the Kootenai Indian language, as well as the marble edges of medieval Dominican missals, represent the unity among learning, art and evangelization which has characterized Jesuit history. It is the same intellectual and rigorous approach continues to mark the Jesuit tradition.