Sister Irene Receives Award from Saint John’s Abbey

Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, has bestowed their Pax Christi Award on Sister Irene Nowell in recognition of her work on The Saint John’s Bible, a handwritten, illuminated Bible for the new millennium.

Sister Irene, an Old Testament scholar, was a member of the Committee on Illumination and Text (CIT), which was charged with oversight of the artistic content for The Saint John’s Bible. The CIT accomplished this task by choosing the illuminations for the Bible and writing detailed briefs for them. Donald Jackson and his team of artists used these briefs to guide their interpretation and enhance their creativity. Sharing their respective expertise, CIT members reviewed, critiqued, and approved the images. The CIT continued in this task as well as other project-related initiatives throughout the 13-year duration of the Bible’s production.

The highest honor bestowed by Saint John’s, the Pax Christi Award

“honors those who have devoted their lives to God and who exemplify the Benedictine ideals of serving others and building a heritage of faith in the world.”

Sister Irene was presented with the award citation, along with a special piece of artwork created by calligraphic artist Diane von Arx and a stained glass quill made by Minnesota artist Sandy Hoffman.