Tidings: The Annual Communique from the Marian Library, Volume 2 (2024)
TIDINGS
AN ANNUAL COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE MARIAN LIBRARY
INSIDE: Mary in Catholic Education
‘Mirror of Hope’
A Review of the Academic Year
KAYLA HARRIS Director of the Marian Library
FROM THE
DIRECTOR’S DESK
Anniversaries serve as a marker in time to pause, reflect and celebrate moments that matter. Last year, we launched Tidings, an updated version of the Marian Library Newsletter, in connection with our 80th anniversary. For the Marian Library, anniversaries seem to be particularly important since our very founding in 1943 was to commemorate a triple centennial to be celebrated in 1949-50: the arrival of the Marianists in the United States (1849); the death of Father William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary (1850); and the founding of the University of Dayton (1850).
In August, Marian Library volunteer Brother John Habjan, S.M., marked 60 years since his profession of perpetual vows with the Society of Mary. He has served many roles since then, including at Moeller High School in Cincinnati and Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton; he also spent part of his career as an assistant director of education for the Marianist Province of the United States. Since 2016, he’s greeted visitors at our welcome desk, and he is a champion of Marianist education.
This year we will recognize several anniversaries with our programming and exhibits:
• In the fall, the pop-up exhibit Nyina wa Jambo: Mother of the Word will be on display in the lobby of the first floor of Roesch Library to mark the 35th anniversary of the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Kibeho, Rwanda, on Nov. 28, 1989.
• Joy to the World! celebrates the birth of Jesus through Nativities, artwork and Christmas songs as the Marian Library’s 30th annual Christmas exhibit. Appealing to visitors of all ages, it will feature crafts, a self-guided audio tour and of course the renowned Nativities. Many University of Dayton students visit as part of a class or explore on their own. Kelechi Okere, a biology undergraduate student, shared this about “Thorn
Tidings Volume 1 won the American Library Association’s top honor for born-digital advocacy and annual reports in its annual PR Xchange awards competition. Published in 2023 by Marian Library faculty and staff, Tidings stood out amongst 334 entries to the competition’s panel of 25 judges. We are honored to be recognized by our peers and thank our readers for supporting this new direction.
Wood Nativity,” a Nigerian crèche featured in last year’s exhibit, Nativities and the Natural World: “First and foremost, coming from a Nigerian background I of course have to choose it [as a favorite]. But secondly, it really emphasizes the fact that Jesus’ birth, while important, was not the only thing going on. People were living their lives, holding their children, working the land, and a small insignificant child, while given his own area in the art, was just one part of the community.”
• In 2025, the University of Dayton community commemorates the 175th anniversary of its founding by the Society of Mary. The University Archives and Special Collections will feature an exhibit in the Stuart and Mimi Rose Gallery, and a companion exhibit in the Marian Library Gallery will incorporate reflections on our Marianist charism.
• “Mirror of Hope,” a sprawling art installation depicting the history of salvation by artist Kevin Hanna, turns 25 (see Page 3). Commissioned by the Marian Library for the University’s sesquicentennial in 2000, the piece continues to attract visitors in the Marian Library Crèche Museum. Our blog and social media, listed on the back cover, will highlight this beloved sculpture throughout 2025.
All of these anniversaries provide opportunities to reflect on the history of the Marian Library while showcasing the innovative ways we invite everyone to discover Mary through exhibitions, art, research, collections and curricula.
Kayla
Encountering the ‘MIRROR OF HOPE’
BY KAYLA HARRIS
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF VISUAL STORYTELLING
On Oct. 10, 2000, over 200 people gathered in the lobby of Roesch Library to dedicate the sprawling art installation “Mirror of Hope” by artist Kevin Hanna. A visual story, the piece depicts Creation, Incarnation, Resurrection and Redemption through over 200 hand-painted clay figures in a 12-footwide, 5-foot-high mountain setting. Commissioned as a gift for the University of Dayton community in celebration of 150 years as a Catholic and Marianist institution, the artwork serves as a testimony to UD’s religious tradition and continues to inspire new visitors daily in the Marian Library Crèche Museum.
Father Johann Roten, S.M., then director of the Marian Library, first learned of the Connecticut-
based artist after seeing his sculptures in a Time magazine article (April 10, 1995). The two began a long-distance partnership as Roten sought to commission Hanna to craft a Nativity for the Marian Library’s crèche collection. Roten was drawn to Hanna’s artistic approach:
“I discovered in Hanna’s art what true art always elicits — a sense of wonderment.”
The pair determined that the Nativity was only one chapter in the Christian story, and after several years of consultation, the two decided to tell more of it. (Story continues on next page)
FOUR FUNDAMENTAL POINTS
Twenty-two events in the history of salvation appear in “Mirror of Hope.” They are taken from Scripture and apocryphal writings. Four structures, which Hanna and Roten call “cardinal points,” anchor the stories thematically. They balance the artwork visually and direct the eye of the viewer.
The story begins and ends with the City on the Mount at the summit of the sculpture with life pouring out of the facade on the left side and returning on the right. The front section of the city — the first cardinal point — replicates the silhouette of the Immaculate Conception Chapel and its adjacent gateways at the heart of the University of Dayton campus. Roten explains, “The University of Dayton’s landmark chapel featured on the ‘Mirror of Hope’ mirrors time and eternity, their unity and presence.”
On the left side, the next cardinal point is the Tower of Babel, a symbol of human conceit and the growing divide between humans and God. In the Book of Genesis, the Tower of Babel tells the story of how the
people of the world came to speak different languages. In the beginning, the “whole world spoke the same language, using the same words” (Genesis 11:1).
Inspired by their vanity and pride, the people of Babel start building a tower to reach into the heavens; to punish them, God makes them speak different languages, and they move apart. In Hanna’s depiction, a frustrated architect gazes upward at the unfinished monument.
In the center of the structure lies the third cardinal point, the stable of the Nativity and the first scene Hanna created. The infant Jesus lies in the middle of the floor in an open structure, demonstrating to the viewer that everyone has access to the Incarnation. The kings and their companions stand to one side in their lavish, brightly colored robes. Mary and Joseph and farmers, children and other onlookers wear simple, muted tones. The presence of these two groups together at the Nativity reminds the viewer that all people — rich and poor — are equal and welcome before God.
The final cardinal point is the House of God on the right side. Inside this temple, a young Jesus sits upon a throne, legs dangling and a large book in his lap, surrounded by elders. This well-known story
of Jesus teaching in the temple is told in the Gospel of Luke. When Jesus becomes separated from his parents and they ultimately find him three days later, they admonish him for the worry he caused. He responds by asking them, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) — an outward affirmation of Jesus’ divine sonship and an acknowledgment that his obedience to his heavenly father’s will takes precedence over his ties to his family.
REFLECTING THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON TODAY
In advance of a renovation on the first and second floors of Roesch Library, “Mirror of Hope” found its present home in the Marian Library Crèche Museum. Surrounded by Nativities from the vast crèche collection, “Mirror of Hope” contextualizes the birth of Christ in a larger narrative. It continues to elicit a sense of wonderment for visitors but holds special meaning to the University of Dayton community.
Olivia DiSalvo, a health sciences undergraduate student, shared,
“My favorite part of the ‘Mirror of Hope’ is the connection between the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at UD and the heavenly city.”
As Hanna reflected on “Mirror of Hope” nearly 25 years after its completion, he shared that compared to what he could create today or what he could’ve created with more time, the craftsmanship is a bit unrefined — imperfect — yet it’s an apt reflection of humanity, he conceded: “Imperfections are OK. Humans are fallible, and that is what God has to work with.”
9
Teaching with Care
BY MICHELE JENNINGS
During a workshop held to complement the exhibit Mary in Catholic Education, Catholic educators from across the region reflected and meditated on their work to teach about Mary, to call attention to her as a model of faith and to care for themselves as a way to better care for their students.
‘MARY IN CATHOLIC EDUCATION’
The Marian Library’s spring exhibit was the culmination of a semester-long partnership with Jen Adams’ teacher education course Foundations of Literacy Through Literature. During four class meetings in the Marian Library, librarians facilitated exploration of literacy through selections from the juvenile collection; helped students put those selections into a broader historical and cultural context; and developed an experiential learning opportunity for students to curate their own exhibit of children’s books related to Mary’s role in Catholic education. The exhibit also included a chalkboard featuring quotes from people in the campus community on the role of Mary in their development as educators; five commissioned works in chalk by a UD undergraduate; and complementary materials from the Marian Library’s archival collections that show the interrelationship of Marian devotion and the education of children.
From kindergarten teachers to university professors, any educator can tell you that summer is a special time of year. Summer is the time to recover, prepare and reflect on the demanding and rewarding work of lesson planning, mentoring and teaching. This summer, the Marian Library held a workshop for Catholic educators inspired by the exhibit Mary in Catholic Education, bringing together strategies for teaching about Mary in the classroom, but also creating space for attendees to use Mary’s example as an opportunity to recharge and care for themselves in order to care better for their students.
Teachers, administrators and a school librarian gathered from schools across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and as far away as Cleveland under the same spirit of care: for one another, for their students and for themselves.
Workshop facilitators — Mary-Kate Sableski, a Marianist Educational Associate and an associate professor of teacher education at UD; Martha Saurine, a lay Marianist and director of campus ministry at Carroll High School in Dayton; and Jim Murray, a lay Marianist and campus minister at Carroll High School — opened with prayer and workshop goals. Using the exhibit as inspiration, the facilitators challenged attendees to consider ways to bring Mary into the curriculum beyond typical feast days. With Marian art at the fore, the assembled educators bridged the symbolic and human elements
From left, workshop facilitators Mary-Kate Sableski, Martha Saurine and Jim Murray
of Mary’s life in Catholic teachings — her roles as mother, educator, protectress and mediator. They considered the varied representations of Mary in the library’s collections as a means of engaging students in discussions about vulnerability, injustice and humanity.
Following a meditative prayer activity known as visio divina, in which participants focus on a piece of art as a means of opening one’s heart to God’s message, attendees spent time in prayerful reflection of the Mary in Catholic Education exhibit. When they
returned to the classroom, stations were set up for lesson planning; exploring Marian-themed sets of childen’s books; reading articles on teaching through faith and being a Catholic educator; and making their own holy cards as a means of reflecting and setting intentions for the coming school year.
These stations bridged two important elements of education: the practicalities of teaching about and through Mary and the importance of personal growth and self-care to be able to show up with intention to the classroom. One attendee remarked,
“I was really touched by your workshop and feel the Spirit moving within me to make some Marian changes/additions to this school year.”
Bringing Mary into the classroom isn’t simply transmitting the significance of feast days or Marian titles; it’s bringing her care and protection to the practice of teaching and the service of others.
As many workshop attendees observed: You simply cannot pour from an empty cup.
— Michele Jennings develops instructional opportunities with special collections and manages the Marian Library’s archival
A workshop attendee examines Marian children’s books from the juvenile collection.
A workshop attendee explores a case of children’s books depicting the Nativity, all arranged according to reading level.
holdings.
GATHER AROUND THE MARIANIST TABLE
At the end of the 2024 spring semester, seniors in a University of Dayton honors program known as the Chaminade Scholars gifted the Marian Library with a coffee table they built to illustrate the worldwide presence of the Marianist spirit.
Created by Patrick Szubryt, Matt Garcia, John-Paul Bugada, Jordan Marsh, Ben Vierheller and Miley Azbill with the help of
BY MICHELLE SCHWEICKART
Brother M. Gary Marcinowski, S.M., professor emeritus of art and design, the piece, which they titled “Marianist Table,” was part of a capstone project to explore faith and vocation and highlight the Marianist charism. A world map under a glass panel symbolizes the Marianist spirit of welcoming people of all cultures and traditions to the table “to be nurtured, to celebrate each other as family and friends, to share in spirited conversations, to feel the special bond of unity as brothers and sisters in the Family of God.” Marian Library visitors can gather around the table in the Marian Library reading room.
— Michelle Schweickart works across the collections assisting with artwork, exhibits and special collections.
JUGGLING IN THE GLASS CENTER
BY NICOLE BURKETT
“The Juggler of Notre Dame” entered the Marian Library Collection in 2022 for the Christmas exhibit Juggling for Mary. The stained-glass window is now featured in the Roger Glass Center for the Arts, where it glows against the building’s floorto-ceiling windows and modern architecture, reminding visitors of UD’s Marianist heritage and the value of visual and performing arts in the educational community.
The piece offers a contemporary view into a medieval story through a medieval medium. The story tells of a humble juggler who enters a monastery. He quickly realizes he lacks the talents many other monks possess, such as singing and calligraphy. Before a statue of Mary, he decides to honor her using his humble talent and juggles with immense enthusiasm until he faints. Moved by the performance, the statue of Mary comes to life to aid the juggler. In this window, the juggler acrobatically juggles upon his discarded monk’s hood, seemingly on the verge of collapse with one ball already dropped and the Virgin Mother awake and reaching out.
The beauty of this window, a collaboration of Jeffrey Miller, Sarah Navasse and Jeremy Bourdois, lies in the details. The juggling balls are made out of dalle de verre, French for “slab of glass,” a thick,
sculptural glass that allows the balls to stand in stark relief against the rest of the piece, giving the impression that they are spheres.
The center of the window uses dark green, blue and violet glass pieces with intricate designs painted on them, significantly decreasing the amount of light able to pass through, which allows the figures of Mary and the juggler to shine in bright contrast. This technique was made famous by Charles Eamer Kempe, a 19th-century English stained-glass artist and one of Miller’s inspirations.
— Nicole Burkett aids the stewardship of the art collection by contributing to its physical care, intellectual control and exhibitions.
From left: Patrick Szubryt, Jordan Marsh and Matthew Garcia
The Case for a Case
BY ANN ZLOTNIK
When the volumes of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition are not being used throughout the University of Dayton campus, they are safe and secure in a new custom-made display case in the Marian Library’s reading room.
When former Marian Library director Father Thomas A. Thompson, S.M., proposed acquiring the sevenvolume set — known for its fine-art illumination mingling spiritual and religious imagery with modern elements of art, culture and science — his intent was not for it to be merely a showpiece. He wanted to put it to use. Since its addition to the Marian Library collections, it has been used during campus Masses, in the classroom and for reflection and prayer.
Understanding the need for a versatile and protective display case, Thompson approached Brother M. Gary Marcinowski, S.M., an accomplished artist, sculptor and woodworker. Marcinowski designed each draw er, hinge and handle with care and purpose, selecting quarter-cut white oak veneer for the cabinet and purple heartwood for the drawer pulls and decorative elements. The case is as much of a work of art as what it contains.
“These were my immediate choices for the woods,” says Marcinowski, who cited the Arts and Crafts style as inspiration. “Purple heart makes a nice complement to the white oak.”
The glass top can be easily opened and secured by one person — even while holding a large volume in one arm. Fabric lining in the seven drawers protects the covers.
As a final touch, Marcinowski wanted to create a unique tapestry to adorn the wall above the case. In keeping with the Arts and Crafts style, he envisioned a depiction of artist Robert Koepnick’s “Our Lady of the Marian Library,’’ a bas-relief on the south facade of Albert Emanuel Hall. I was asked to consult with him and produce the design for the tapestry.
— Ann Zlotnik is a graphic designer and coordinates marketing and communication for the Marian Library.
WHAT’S NEW?
BY MICHELLE SCHWEICKART
This original icon, “Mary: Love Forever Being Born,” by Kelly Latimore, was inspired by a poem shared with the artist by a friend, Brother Jeff Macnab, O.F.M., three days before Macnab passed away on Christmas Day 2022. The poem is inscribed on the back of the artwork.
This board game created by Higher Calling Games is “based on the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Marian themes and saints who had a deep devotion to the Mother of God.”
This rare polyglot children’s biblical history written by Veniamin Krasnopevkov-Rumovskii is the first edition of the book to include a sixth language — Polish. The other languages represented are Russian, Greek, Latin, French and German.
Making Medieval Manuscripts Visible Through Conservation and Digitization
THE LONG VIEW
BY HENRY HANDLEY
A common question asked in the Marian Library is, “What’s your oldest book?” The short answer is that the oldest printed book was printed in 1473, and we have some manuscripts (handwritten books) that are from earlier in the 1400s. The full answer is more complicated.
The oldest printed book, sermons by Leonardus de Utino, was indeed printed in Venice in 1473. The book contains more than sermons, however. A fragment of a medieval Hebrew manuscript with text from Jeremiah 24 covers the boards and spine. That fragment is even older — likely from the 1200s, according to the International Collection of Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts, which hosts a digital version of it.
The Marian Library’s medieval manuscripts currently include five codices, 11 single leaves and 94 binding fragments originally produced before 1600, by our best estimation. Lack of description hindered our ability to teach with those manuscripts and fragments that we knew about. Lack of knowledge about others — a mysterious box in a file cabinet turned out to contain the Glorieuse vierge royne fragment shown here — meant that we’ve continued to uncover undescribed ones. Moreover, the best-known codices and fragments were often too fragile to safely handle.
Donors made conserving two of the oldest examples possible: In 2020, conservator Gabrielle Fox under-
Categories of Medieval Manuscripts:
• A codex, plural codices, a familiar bound book structure with pages and a spine, as opposed to a scroll or tablet
• A leaf (or multiple leaves) detached from the original codex for educational purposes and/or commercial profit
• Binding fragments, recycled to reinforce the bindings of printed books in the 1500s and 1600s
took treatment of the Sermones aurei de sanctis, its manuscript binding and a 15th-century manuscript book of hours. Thanks to her work, both are now stable enough to share with UD classes and visiting researchers. Not everyone can travel to Dayton to see them, though, and that’s where digitization comes in.
FROM PARCHMENT TO PIXELS
The sheer number and variety of medieval manuscripts in the Marian Library and University Archives called for an expansive, collaborative approach incorporating high-resolution imaging and expertise in manuscript metadata. That’s why, in 2020, the University Libraries joined a cooperative digitization project, Peripheral Manuscripts in the Midwest, as one of 22 partners in a regional digital consortium.
Funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources, the principal investigators worked with UD librarians and archivists to select six codices, three documents and 67 fragments from
A leaf from a 15th-century manuscript with the French hymn Glorieuse vierge royne, digitized for Peripheral Manuscripts in the Midwest.
both the Marian Library and the University Archives and Special Collections.
Digitization at Indiana University Bloomington is complete. Grant partners at Loyola University Chicago and St. Mary’s College in Indiana are completing descriptions according to manuscript metadata standards. The launch of the digital repository with over 1,300 items is anticipated in late 2024.
MORE TO LEARN, MORE TO SHARE
After the Peripheral Manuscripts project was underway, we identified dozens more binding fragments and leaves for future digitization. Participating in the Peripheral Manuscripts project has increased our knowledge of imaging and description standards, and professional development on books of hours and manuscript fragmentology has further increased our capacity for identifying and describing these materials. Library benefactors Stuart and Mimi Rose also donated a 1520s book of hours to the Marian Library, reflecting a growing commitment to stewarding and sharing manuscripts in our collections.
With this deepening commitment, in-house digitization has become a higher priority. In addition to digitizing the Rose book of hours now in our eCommons repository, the University Libraries are exploring International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) standards to share high-quality digital images that allow users to view, compare, annotate and transcribe manuscripts online.
INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
Medieval manuscripts that have survived have had long lives and interacted with many people. Just as manuscript books of hours materialize devotion to Mary, even the smallest fragments can bring context on book culture in the Middle Ages to first-year students and seasoned researchers. With the University Libraries’ behind-the-scenes conservation, collection management and digitization work, the Marian Library’s manuscripts are becoming accessible beyond the reading room.
— Henry Handley stewards the Marian Library’s rare books and print collections.
There’s an
ART TO IT!
BRIDGET RETZLOFF
Assistant Professor and Visual Resources
Librarian
The Marian Library shares its extensive art collection on social media, through exhibits, in class settings and more. Meet Bridget Retzloff, the remarkable professional leading this charge.
How long have you been working in the Marian Library? I’ve worked in the Marian Library since July 2023. I have had a few other roles with the University Libraries since September 2019.
What are some of your routine responsibilities in the Marian Library? I manage the art collection, which includes over 13,000 pieces of art in a wide variety of media. I care for the physical aspects of the collection and manage documentation associated with each artist and piece of artwork. I acquire new artwork through purchases and donations based on our collecting priorities. I also make the collection accessible to the University and the community by curating exhibitions, providing reference support for researchers, teaching with collection materials and writing articles about the collection. I am the liaison to the art and design department, providing support for faculty, staff and students related to library collections, engagement, research, scholarly communications, teaching and learning.
What is one of the more interesting parts of your job? I really enjoy curating exhibitions because it involves learning more about the collections, collaborating with many colleagues in the libraries, thinking creatively and designing opportunities for our visitors to interact with our collections.
If you were to pick one favorite item from the Marian Library’s collections, what would it be? One of my favorite objects in the art collection is
a triptych of prints by John August Swanson that tell the story of the Nativity. The bright colors radiate joy, while the compositions emphasize the journeys that were undertaken by three different groups to Bethlehem — the shepherds, the Holy Family and the Magi. Two of the prints are original serigraphs by Swanson in which you can see the many layers of ink that were masterfully printed. Last year, we added a gicleé print of the shepherds created posthumously by Swanson’s studio to complete our triptych, and we used the three prints to introduce the Christmas story to visitors to the Christmas exhibit, Nativities and the Natural World
What’s a detail about you that may surprise people? I love to sew — quilts, clothing, home decor, embroidery, mending, you name it. This year, I’ve had a lot of fun sewing for my newborn daughter.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I would love to visit Florence, Italy. Reading about the Medici family and Renaissance Florence first got me interested in art history.
What is your favorite board game? One of my favorite games is Masterpiece, an art collecting game from the 1970s in which the players buy and sell artwork while trying to avoid forgeries. When I visit a museum, I buy a few postcards of artwork that I enjoyed and add them to the game.
FACULTY & STAFF
NICOLE BURKETT
Art Collection Specialist
HENRY HANDLEY
Assistant Professor; Rare Books and Print Collections Librarian
KAYLA HARRIS
Associate Professor; Director of the Marian Library
MICHELE JENNINGS
Assistant Professor; Special Collections Instruction Librarian
SHARI NEILSON
Administrative Assistant and Office Coordinator
BRIDGET RETZLOFF
Assistant Professor; Visual Resources Librarian
MICHELLE SCHWEICKART
Library Specialist
ANN ZLOTNIK
Communication and Creative Coordinator
JULY TO JULY
Highlights of the Academic Year
The Marian Library is central to the University of Dayton’s Catholic and Marianist identity. All are invited to discover Mary through our collections, exhibits and programming. Over the past year, we have demonstrated our committment to serving the needs of faculty and students at the University of Dayton and visitors worldwide through research, learning opportunities and community support.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
1 exhibit curated in part by 54 teacher education students; 5 students from across disciplines presented on book history; students employed at the Marian Library learned valuable skills; 5 new artworks by 1 student artist added to the collection
COLLECTIONS THAT CONNECT
The Marian Library intentionally adds new items that connect to the curriculum at the University of Dayton, support faculty research interests, enhance our Marianist charism and add new and diverse viewpoints.
The Marian Library commissioned second-year student Cecilia Martyna to create custom chalk artwork for the Mary in Catholic Education exhibit; the five pieces were added to the permanent collection. This commission provided a paid experiential learning opportunity for Martyna while weaving the Marian Library collections and expertise into the UD curriculum.
ANNUAL REPORT
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
COCURRICULAR PROGRAMS: 2 programs for housing points; 614 visits
INSTRUCTION: 49 classes taught with 635 students in attendance
A two-credit mini-course led by Henry Handley offered hands-on learning with books and manuscripts from the 15th century to the present. Students applied what they learned by curating a display, above, and presenting about their selections.
“I have learned how to be more flexible and organized with my work, as well as greatly improved my communication skills.”
– Skyler Donoho ’24
STELLAR STUDENT EMPLOYEES
In the Marian Library, experiential learning is built into student employees’ work so that they can build professional skills, practice customer service and discover their interests and talents.
EXHIBITS AND RELATED PROGRAMMING
East Meets West: Halyna
Nykolyshyn’s Ukrainian Marian Legacy
May 1 — Nov. 10, 2023
MINI-DISPLAYS
POPPED UP AROUND ROESCH LIBRARY AND AROUND TOWN
Nativities and the Natural World Nov. 20, 2023 — Jan. 12, 2024
Items on the subject of Mary as Patroness of America were on display in conjunction with the 2024 Marian Forum.
Scholars Karen Park and Kate Dugan visited the University of Dayton in February to meet with classes and speak at the Marian Forum. Park and Dugan are co-editors of American Patroness: Marian Shrines and the Making of US Catholicism.
STUDENT-CURATED
Mary in Catholic Education March 4 — June 28, 2024
The Passion of the Monarca Migrante, a series of 15 linocut prints by Jaqueline Romo, invited reflection on Mary, nature and social justice during Lent.
Pieces of art from Marian Library collections were on display during the Imago Dei event at Bergamo Center.
CATHOLIC EDUCATOR WORKSHOP: 28 participants — faculty and staff — across grade levels and disciplines (see Pages 6-7)
CHRISTMAS EXHIBIT
REFERENCE ASSISTANCE: 509 questions asked; 348 hours of assistance
FELLOWSHIPS AND RESEARCH
VISITING SCHOLAR FELLOW
Rebecca Janzen, an associate professor in the languages, literatures and cultures department at the University of South Carolina, furthered work on her book Mining Religion: Marian Shrines and Extraction Across the Americas. Using postcards, holy cards and other material from Marian Library collections, Janzen examined shrines to the Virgin Mary throughout Latin America and their connection with mining settlements.
RESIDENT SCHOLAR FELLOW
Elizabeth Groppe, a professor in the religious studies department at the University of Dayton, researched the contemporary significance of the Mary garden movement in U.S. Catholicism by using the John Stokes and Mary’s Gardens archival collection. Her research focused on the history of the Mary garden tradition and how it can be enhanced through a contemporary ecological understanding of plant communities and the habitats they provide. Groppe will present a workshop in collaboration with the Marianist Environmental Education Center about the history of the movement and how to adapt the practice with environmentally sustaining native plants.
GRADUATE SCHOLAR FELLOW
Giovanna Sarto, a doctoral candidate in religious studies at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil, was the first recipient of a new fellowship to support graduate student research. Sarto used Marian Library collections to research Black Madonnas, specifically the patron saint of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida, whose iconography and devotion offer a backdrop for exploring themes related to social justice and liberation.
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Darden Bradshaw, associate professor in the art and design department at the University of Dayton, is spending the 2024-25 academic year investigating textiles in the Marian Library’s art collection. During the exhibit Warp and Weft: Weaving Mary and Identity in the Marian Library Gallery Feb. 4-June 27, 2025, visitors will be able to converse with Bradshaw as she works at a loom on a new piece she will create in response to her discoveries.
RESEARCHER-IN-RESIDENCE
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch, a doctoral candidate in religious studies and a program administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies, is exploring Marian Library collections for materials and resources useful to Marianist ministries and faith communities.
