Freshmen at Visitation School in Mendota Heights received a special
gift from the religion department on the second day of the school year:
their own Bibles.
The gift-giving ceremony that took place in the monastery chapel is
part of an initiative begun six years ago to encourage more robust
Scripture study. The Bibles are intended for their four years of high
school and beyond.
Each freshman received a third edition of the Catholic Youth Bible
published by St. Mary’s Press, which is sprinkled with vignettes that
personalize Scripture passages, as edited by Catherine Cory, an
associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas.
Their
study is informed by material from local Catholic Jeff Cavins, a
national Bible expert, and well timed as Visitation’s religion program
inaugurates the new curriculum designed by the U.S. bishops.
Received with gratitude
It was the first Bible Stephanie Puma, 14, a member of Holy Rosary in
south Minneapolis, had ever been given. “It’s really special to me,” she
said. “Now, whenever I feel sad, I can look at the word of God and be
comforted.”
“Having these Bibles is going to be a great gift for us,” added
classmate Anna Evans, 15, a member of St. Joseph in West St. Paul. “I
really like the Psalms, especially Psalm 139 — ‘I praise you, God, that I
am wonderfully, fearfully made.’”
Those words are a source of
encouragement for any teenager struggling with self acceptance, Evans
added.
Colleen Scallen, 15, who belongs to Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul,
said she’s looking forward to digging deeper into Scripture, especially
after attending a predominantly Baptist summer camp where she was
reminded of how well-versed Protestants tend to be with the Bible.
“The
Bible is way more important than a textbook because it shows us examples
of how to live,” Scallen said.
Catholics may not be as adept at citing verse and chapter, said
religion teacher Mary McClure, but she’s teaching her students to
recognize patterns. For instance, if they’re seeking Scripture about the
Virgin Mary, they should turn to the Gospel of Luke.
A solid foundation
The Bibles were presented to the freshmen by Sister Jane de Chantal
Smisek and Sister Mary Paula McCarthy, who gave the students handwritten
cards with various passages about the power of Scripture, such as Psalm
119: 105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”
Sister Jane de Chantal said she was pleased by the students’ response
to the gift. “They are darling girls and eager to have their own Bibles.
Their hearts are in it, and at this stage, when their lives are really
beginning, you need a foundation,” she said.
The soft-spoken nun elaborated on the role of the Bible. “Scripture
study is the basis of our religious belief,” she said. “We know we got
it directly from the source, and I believe in going to the source.”
Scallen said she was struck by Sister Jane de Chantal’s message when
she presented the gift.
“She gave me the Bible and smiled at me and
said: ‘You’d be surprised by how smart God is. You should go to him for
everything, little or big.’”