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Commemorative Silver Medallions
History
Medallion Obverse: History of St. Benedict & Benedictine University
St. Benedict was born about 480 AD in the town of Nursia, in the mountains of central Italy. Sent to study in Rome, he became dissatisfied with the prevalent materialism and withdrew to the wild Italian hill country near Subiaco. After some years of ascetic life by himself, he became abbot, or spiritual father, of a community. Later he moved south of Rome to Monte Cassino, where he lived until his death in 547. The Rule he wrote there became the foundational document in the shaping of western monasticism, so much so that Pope Paul VI in 1964 honored St. Benedict with the title, "Patron of Europe". St. Benedict is depicted on the medallion's obverse writing his Rule, which has been followed by Benedictine monks for fifteen centuries.
Benedictine monks from St. Vincent Abbey in Pennsylvania came
to Chicago in 1885 to establish a monastery at the Czech parish
of St. Procopius. Two years later, St. Procopius College (SPC)
was established. The monks moved the school to still-rural Lisle
in 1901, and in 1914 the monastery itself was transferred there.
St. Procopius College grew rapidly- in numbers, in buildings and
in programs- during the decades after the Second World War. The
school changed its name in 1971 to Illinois Benedictine College
(IBC), and then in 1996 to Benedictine University (BU).
Medallion Reverse: History of the University Shield
The reverse of the medallions contain the shields and inclusive years of SPC, IBC and BU.
In the history of the Benedictine Order, monasteries were quite
frequently influenced by the world around them. During the days
of feudalism, when every lord and every knight would have a "coat
of arms" on his shield, monasteries began to develop coats of
arms much like the civil rulers. The custom developed that Benedictine
abbots would have a coat of arms; one half of which would represent
the abbey community and the other half the personal arms of the
abbot.
From its earliest days (as is evident from the coat of arms of
the first abbot, John Nepomucene Jaeger) the coat of arms of St.
Procopius Abbey consisted of a black cross "formee" (as it is
known in heraldry) over which was an eagle, with the letters I.O.G.D.
on its breast. The letters represented a motto in Latin from the
Rule of Saint Benedict: In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus (That in
all things God may be glorified).
The St. Procopius College seal was made up of a rather intricate
eagle drawing of Czech origin. In addition, the College's seal
added the "torch of wisdom" which was not an original part of
the abbatial coat of arms. We may be reminded that the ceremonial
mace, exhibited at formal convocations such as graduation, is
a torch cast in wrought iron ornamented with crystal and copper.
At the time of the name change to Illinois Benedictine College,
the administration sought an artist to modernize the eagle on
the shield while retaining the torch and I.O.G.D. on the eagle's
breast.
When the institution became Benedictine University, the initials
were removed from the eagle's breast and the entire motto was
made part of the University seal. In this latter version, the
torch and its light were made much more manifest and distinct.
Acknowledgements: Medallion Origin
The Benedictine Medallion Project honoring the College and University
was conceived and developed by Professor Emeritus David Rausch,
(C62). The art work was drawn by alumna Gabrielle Tufano, (C08)
under the direction of Art Professor William Scarlato and computer
adapted by Andrew Pamment, (C03). The medallions were fabricated
by Sunshine Minting Inc. of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho from 99.9% pure
silver mined from the Silver Valley in northern Idaho. Blue coin
presentation cases produced by SilverTowne Mint in Winchester, Indiana.
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