The Gonzaga Collection: Rare Books From The Oregon Province

Jesuit collection on display
By: Maura Quigley
Posted: 2/8/08Deep within the Foley Center library, between the endless rows of bookshelves and the scholarly students, reside precious and ancient treasures of the past. These "Treasures of the Vault" can only be found on the third floor of the Foley Center, nestled in a public, yet unfamiliar place to many students: the Cowles Rare Books room. Its public debut on Feb. 4, the Special Books Collection's new exhibition, "Treasures of the Vault: Rare Books from the Jesuit Heritage," is now on display for any individual who wishes to discover it. "To be able to be so close to something which is centuries old is such a special feeling," said Dr. Catherine Tkacz, the curator of the exhibit and special consultant to Father Spitzer for the rare books and manuscripts exhibit.The exhibit contains more than 3,000 historical volumes, relating directly to Jesuit historical events, intellectual study and evangelization. These artifacts from the past comprise medieval manuscripts and articles some of which date to the 15th century. One such treasure, a Roman Missal from 1484, is one of only three copies in the world.Another treasure is one of the earliest copies of the English Bible. The complete works of Voltaire, the full edition of the works of Martin Luther, and Thomas Aquinas' commentary on Aristotle's "De anima", the only copy in existence, are just a few more of the artifacts to explore and discover. "All these books and manuscripts truly demonstrate the range of the Jesuit intellectual and spiritual interests throughout history," Tkacz said. "The strong relationship between learning and evangelization throughout their history is very apparent through all of these works." Documents such as the catechism translated into the Kootenai Indian language, as well as the marble edges of medieval Dominican missals, represent the unity among learning, art and evangelization which has characterized Jesuit history. It is the same intellectual and rigorous approach continues to mark the Jesuit tradition. The opportunity to showcase the breadth and abundance of Jesuit intellectual research is one motivation Tkacz stressed as being an important reason Gonzaga decided put the collection on display."Any individual or student who has interest in philosophy, art, theology or history will truly appreciate this exhibit," Tkacz said. Gonzaga acquired these treasures in the 1960s and '70s when the documents were purchased from the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus. Formerly called the Mount St. Michael's Collection, these treasures were moved to the University and formally renamed "The Gonzaga Collection: Rare Books from the Jesuit Oregon Province." All the original documents from the Oregon Province had been collected throughout the years from other Jesuit institutions around the world. For this reason, the documents truly are treasures from the past. The exhibit will be open through June 6.To encourage and facilitate faculty viewing, the exhibit will be open the first Tuesday of each month during the lunch hour. A special online version of the exhibit can also be viewed at www.gonzaga.edu/rarebooks. "We want to make sure people are aware of this special exhibit so that we have the opportunity to share these treasures," Tkacz said.