Jesus – Special Collections & The Gallery

Object of the Week: “Christ’s Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem”

Image: “Christ’s Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem,” from:
Bible History, Containing the Most Remarkable Events of the Old and New Testaments
By Right Reverend Richard Gilmour, D.D., Bishop of Cleveland, Ohio.
New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1894
Courtesy of Archives and Special Collections

HOLY WEEK 2021

The final week before Easter – spanning Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday – is known as Holy Week, a time when Catholics gather to remember and participate in the Passion of Jesus Christ. The Passion is the final period of Christ’s life in Jerusalem, commencing when he arrived in the city until He was crucified.[1] Holy Week provides an opportunity to reflect upon Jesus’ crucifixion, a sacrifice for all of humanity so that we might be redeemed through his suffering and death.[2]

On Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. In the image “Christ’s Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem” above, we see Jesus’ humble arrival into the city on the back of a donkey to observe Passover. According to the Gospel account, he was greeted by crowds of people who spread their cloaks and laid palm leaves in his path and proclaimed him the Son of David (Matthew 21:5).[3] The palm branch is an ancient symbol of victory, goodness and well-being and Jesus’ followers welcomed him as their Messiah by waving palm branches and placing them on the ground along the route.[4]

Holy Thursday celebrates the institution of the Eucharist as the true body and blood of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the sacrament of the priesthood. During the Last Supper, Jesus offers himself as the Passover sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb, and teaches that every ordained priest is to follow the same sacrifice in the exact same way. The Holy Thursday Liturgy takes place at sundown, marking the end of Lent and the beginning of the sacred “Triduum,” or three days of Holy Week – the three holiest days in the Catholic Church.[5]

Jesus was arrested after the Passover Seder, or Last Supper, during which he gave his final sermon. According to the canonical gospels, his arrest took place in Gethsemane, a garden which scholars believe was an olive grove. Jesus was there with his disciples to pray after the seder when he was arrested by temple guards of the Sanhedrin, a council of elders appointed to preside over legal matters.[6] Jesus’ arrest was due to his teachings, which were opposed by the Romans.[7] Christ’s arrest, trial, conviction and crucifixion are associated with Good Friday – traditionally a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting.

Holy Saturday, also called Easter Vigil, is the traditional end of Lent. It commemorates the day that Jesus Christ’s body was entombed. This is the day before Easter, which celebrates Jesus’ Resurrection, on the third day after his crucifixion.[8]

On Holy Saturday evening, a priest or deacon carries a Pascal Candle in procession into a darkened church. A new fire, symbolizing our eternal life in Christ, is kindled to light the candle. The candle, representing Christ himself, is blessed by the priest.[9]

The engraved images accompanying this post are from Bible History, Containing the Most Remarkable Events of the Old and New Testaments published in 1894 by Benzinger Brothers of New York. This rare book is one of numerous antique volumes available for research in the Department of Archives and Special Collections.

Image of the Burial of Jesus — “The Burial of Jesus” or “The Entombment”

The images and materials shown here are but a small part of the vast patrimony available to students, faculty and researchers. For access to this or other objects in our collections, complete a research request form to set up an appointment or contact us at 973-761-9476.

[1] https://www.saintpats.org/parish/holy-week/, accessed 3/24/2021.

[2] https://nwcatholic.org/voices/cal-christiansen/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-on-the-cross, accessed 3/29/2021.

[3] https://www.britannica.com/story/holy-week, accessed 3/29/2021.

[4] https://www.learnreligions.com/palm-branches-bible-story-summary-701202, accessed 3/24/2021.

[5] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/holy-week/holy-thursday/the-significance-of-holy-thursday, accessed 3/29/2021.

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_of_Jesus#:~:text=It%20occurred%20shortly%20after%20the,chief%20priests%20to%20arrest%20Jesus, accessed 3/29/2021.

[8] https://www.britannica.com/story/holy-week, accessed 3/29/2021.

[9] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/holy-week/holy-saturday/the-paschal-candle, accessed 3/29/2021.

Object of the Week: The Birth of Our Saviour

Hercule Louis Catenacci
The Birth of Our Saviour
In The Life of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Virgin Mary
engraving
1879, published by the Benzinger Brothers
Courtesy of Archives and Special Collections

MERRY CHRISTMAS

“We desire to be able to welcome Jesus at Christmas-time, not in a cold manger of our heart, but in a heart full of love and humility, in a heart so pure, so immaculate, so warm with love for one another.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

This engraved image depicting the birth of Jesus is from one of many bibles in the university’s Rare Book Library, which is cared for by the Department of Archives and Special Collections. This volume, entitled The Life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and of his Virgin Mother Mary, was published in 1879 by Benzinger Brothers Publishing.[1] The illustration shown here was engraved by Hercule Louis Catenacci, a French painter and illustrator.

Catenacci was born in Ferrara, a province in present-day Italy, in 1816. He later moved to France, illustrating numerous books and journals on a variety of subjects. Cantenacci’s versatility was demonstrated thematically as well in his ability to adopt numerous illustrative styles depending upon the commission. His illustrations included Moorish architecture in Spain, sarcophagus designs from a French exposition, the art and architecture of India, liturgical objects, garden landscapes, Italian piazzas, Cambodian ruins and images of protestors.[2]

Benzinger Brothers Publishing was founded in Switzerland in 1792 with the express purpose of functioning as a Catholic publishing house. In the late 19^th century, the publisher expanded its operations to the United States, opening offices in Chicago and Cincinnati.[3] It has been through many iterations since then, being bought, sold and consolidated several times. Still in existence today, Benzinger Brothers has been operating under the name RCL Benzinger since 2016, when it became a subsidiary of Kendall Hunt Publishing of Dubuque, Iowa.[4] RCL Benzinger still has offices in Cincinnati and primarily serves religious education programs for Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools, families, and individuals, including bilingual students and students with disabilities.[5]

The images and materials shown here are but a small part of the vast patrimony available to students, faculty and researchers. For access to this or other objects in our collections, complete a research request form to set up an appointment or contact us at 973-761-9476.

[1] The Life Of Our Lord And Saviour Jesus Christ And Of His Virgin 1 Mother Mary. New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1879. p.298.

[2] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hercule_Catenacci, accessed 12/14/2020.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCL_Benziger, accessed 12/14/2020.

[4]https://www.google.com/search?q=kendall+hunt+publishing&rlz=1C1GCEV_en&oq=kendall+hunt+publishing&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.2790j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[5] https://rclbenziger.com/our-history, accessed 12/14/2020.

Object of the Week: Crucifixio Jesu Christi

Friedrich August Ludy
Crucifixio Jesu Christi
Engraving
13.375” x 17.5”
1852
83.2.137
Gift of Anonymous Donor

“Good Friday is much more than reliving the passion of Jesus; it is entering into solidarity with the passion of all people of our planet, whether in the past, the present, or the future.” – Henri Nouwen

Each year on Good Friday, Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Ludy’s engraving depicts these events. Pontius Pilate is shown a plaque which reads, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, as Jesus is nailed to the cross in the background. The figure depicted on the far-left kneeling in prayer is artist Johann Friedrich Overbeck who painted the original work on which this engraving is based.