WAHOO (SNR/CNA) – Every student, faculty and staff member at Bishop Neumann Jr.-Sr. High School in Wahoo received a gift March 28 – their own new copy of the “Word on Fire Bible.”
The Bibles were donated by William and Sandy Drexel.
Word on Fire is a Catholic media organization founded by Bishop Robert Barron that uses digital and traditional media to introduce Catholicism to the broader world. Bishop Barron, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is well known to Catholics worldwide from his YouTube videos and as the host of his documentary series “Catholicism,” which aired on national television.
The Word on Fire Bible, called a ‘Cathedral in print,’ combines scripture, commentary, and sacred art in a quality, heirloom format.
The Word on Fire Bible was the idea of Michael Stevens and Nicolas Fredrickson, good friends who met weekly for Bible study. Both lamented the quality of their own bibles, and the two began brainstorming what it would take to produce a quality Catholic bible. It helped that Fredrickson is a skilled typographer, and Stevens a graphic designer.
The pair “cold e-mailed” Word on Fire to pitch their idea, not knowing Word on Fire had the same idea – creating a bible that would match Barron’s evangelistic philosophy of “leading with beauty.”
In an interview with Catholic News Agency, Stevens said they “truly couldn’t believe our eyes as we read. We could have never imagined a more perfect scenario.”
Now Word on Fire employees, Stevens and Fredrickson, with James O’Neill, visited Wahoo to bring the brand new, completely donated bibles for every Bishop Neumann student, faculty and staff member to the school.
In a Facebook message, Bishop Barron shared photos of the Neumann students receiving their bibles and explained that Stevens and Fredrickson, “the key players” in designing the Word on Fire Bible, spoke to the Neumann students about their work at Word on Fire.
“They shared the backstory of the Bible, explained how to use it, and gave a brief reflection using the Word on Fire Bible’s text and art,” Bishop Barron said.
The Word on Fire Bible, filled with beautiful art, is geared toward people reading their bibles for the first time, but contains a wealth of information for learned scholars as well: theological commentary from the Church fathers to contemporary Catholics like G.K. Chesterton, Flannery O’Connor, or Bishop Barron.
