A look at the university’s recent acquisition of the Badin Bible

 

The University of Notre Dame has always valued her rich history and culture, a passion that has led to many opportunities to expand educational boundaries.  Recently, a significant artifact in our school’s history returned home: the Badin Bible.

The Badin Bible is perhaps the most important addition to the Hesburgh Library’s Department of Rare Books and Special Collections in recent years.  This Friday, October 10, there will be a symposium in the Library with a panel of experts to more fully explain the significance of this Bible.

The “Badin” in the Badin Bible’s title should have special meaning for certain South Quad-dwelling females.  Father Stephen Badin was the first Catholic priest ordained in the United States, and he used the Log Chapel as his mission headquarters.

This Bible contains a special inscription to Father Badin from another prominent figure in early Catholic America: John Carroll, America’s first bishop.  At Father Badin’s ordination in 1793, the Archbishop gave him this book.  Archbishop Carroll’s brother, Charles Carroll, has the honor of being the namesake of our secluded—but not forgotten—residence hall on campus, as well as being the only Catholic signatory of the Declaration of Independence.

George Rugg, curator for American Materials in the Special Collections department of the Hesburgh Library, told the Rover of the unique joy Notre Dame has in holding this book:

“It’s a very significant thing for us to have—much more so for us than for anywhere else because of the Catholic mission of the school, and the particular association of this edition to different important figures in the history of Notre Dame.”

This particular version holds special significance to our university, but any copy of this Bible would indeed be a rare book.  Dating back to 1790, it was the first Catholic Bible published in the United States, as publishing in America was still in its earliest days.  Fewer than 500 copies of this edition were sold.

The Badin Bible has been in the hands of the Sisters of Loretto in Kentucky since the early 1800s.  The sisters were seeking a new home for it this past year, and an Acquisition Grant was filed and accepted for Notre Dame to purchase this Bible for its collection.

The addition of the Badin Bible to this collection has many members of the Notre Dame community excited about the new opportunities for research and study.  It has many significant ties to Notre Dame as well as, in a broader sense, the history of Catholic America.

Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, told the Rover:

“The historical significance of Father Badin’s Bible extends far beyond any local connection.  This remarkable artifact intersects with the history of a number of men and women’s religious congregations, and with the history of the American priesthood and episcopacy.   Furthermore, it was published by a Catholic lay leader, and it arrived on campus on July 14, the feast of Kateri Tekakwitha.  Inscribed by a Catholic bishop, owned by a Catholic priest and a religious congregation, published by a lay leader, received on the feast of a lay woman—this Bible knits together the priestly, religious and lay men and women who built the U.S. Church.”

To learn more about this incredible addition to our university, visit the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections on the first floor of the Hesburgh Library from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 10.  A special panel of experts will be there to further discuss the Badin Bible’s groundbreaking nature and to answer any and all questions.

Dana Deradoorian is a sophomore living in Welsh Family Hall. She is majoring in English and history.  Contact her at dderadoo@nd.edu if you want to help her figure out how to travel to Iceland over spring break.