Today in Washington, D.C., The Library of Congress was presented an Apostles Edition of The Saint John’s Bible as a gift from Saint John’s Abbey and University. The gift, funded by GHR Foundation, was made in the presence of Pope Francis following his address to Congress.

The Bible was given in acknowledgement of the Pope’s devotion to scripture, concern for the dignity of all people, care for creation and commitment to justice. The Library of Congress received the gift on behalf of the American people during a reception at the Capitol attended by (above, left to right) Abbot John Klassen, OSB, Joint Committee on the Library Chairman Sen. Roy Blunt, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, Pope Francis, House Speaker John Boehner, Saint John's University President Dr. Michael Hemesath and GHR Foundation CEO Amy Goldman.

“The Library of Congress is truly honored to receive this priceless work of human creativity and divine inspiration in honor of Pope Francis’ visit,” said Dr. Billington.

There are only 12 sets of the Apostles Edition in existence. The illuminations bring to life familiar scriptural passages from a modern perspective, conveying a multicultural humanity and representations of science, technology and contemporary historical events. It is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a monastery since the invention of the printing press, more than 500 years ago. The Saint John's Bible and its limited-edition fine art editions resulted from a long collaboration among scholars of scripture and theologians at Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota and a team of artists and calligraphers led by Donald Jackson, senior scribe to Her Majesty the Queen’s Crown Office at the House of Lords in London, England.

The Library will place the rare edition on public exhibition from Sept. 26, 2015 to Jan. 2, 2016. To learn more about this exciting project and GHR’s engagement in the Papal visit, view the resources below or contact us.

By GHR Chair & CEO Amy Goldman

Today, we were pleased to participate in a presentation of an Apostles Edition of The Saint John’s Bible to the Library of Congress in the presence of His Holiness Pope Francis. GHR Foundation partnered with Saint John’s Abbey and University to present the gift to the American people, honoring and commemorating this historic visit by Pope Francis.

This gift was made in acknowledgement of the Pope’s devotion to scripture, concern for the dignity of all people, care for creation and commitment to justice. The Saint John’s Bible was designed to foster the arts, ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world and give voice and expression to underserved communities.

We were motivated to make this remarkable gift for two important reasons:

First, The importance of faith in public life. Through our work at GHR Foundation and multi-faith input in The St. John’s Bible project, we know when people of all faiths find a common path forward, they build lasting connections and better results. We hope this gift helps remind all Americans that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.

Second, the opportunity to place time-tested values at the center of today’s modern agenda. Like Pope Francis, The St. John’s Bible uses a modern approach to convey age-old truths—love, humility, compassion and faith. Pope Francis has urged those in power to not forget the marginalized and act with compassion, love and faith to solve the problems we face today. These themes are reflected in The Saint John’s Bible. The amazing work of art highlights those who were excluded from the illuminated texts of past centuries.

The Saint John’s Bible will be on display in the Library of Congress starting Sept. 26 alongside other rare works like the Gutenberg Bible, giving the American people an opportunity to experience this impressive text for themselves. To learn more about this project and GHR’s other funding efforts, contact us.

GHR’s Catholic Schools Initiative works to ensure urban Catholic schools in the Twin Cities are faith-filled, academically excellent educational communities that prepare children to be college-ready, productive citizens.

A recent article in The Catholic Spirit profiles GHR grantee City Connects, which works to connect students with resources to meet their out-of-school needs. The Catholic Spirit pieces examines the successful formula of City Connects and outlines its plan for implementation in a new geographic area.

This fall, GHR is funding the launch of City Connects in seven urban Twin Cities Catholic schools. This innovative program surrounds learners with the services they need to significantly improve student achievement, from tutoring to housing support.

 “We have great teachers and great learning environments, and we have so many resources in the Twin Cities,” said program manager Laurie Acker. “This is going to allow teachers to teach while the site coordinators find resources to help students and families.”

To learn more about partnering with GHR to promote faith-filled, academically excellent Catholic schools, contact us.

GHR Foundation's Children in Families funding supports child protection interventions that strengthen families and respond to children without family care. As we work toward systems change, we are mindful that improving the lives of children is at the heart of our grant making.

Over the last year, children around the world have participated in a digital storytelling project. As part of their campaign to support the implementation of Guidelines for Alternative Care, GHR partner Family for Every Child is dedicated to amplifying the voices of vulnerable children.

To date, Family for Every Child employees have documented the thoughts of more than 90 children from eight countries. Through the project, children explore what family means to them. To view a few of the stories, click the image above.

These videos are powerful reminders of the importance of transforming the system in tandem with improving the lives of every child we can reach.  To learn more about GHR’s approach to supporting children and families, contact us.