A delegation from St. John's University met Friday with Pope Francis at the Vatican to present him with the seventh and final volume of a special edition of the most famous Bible in Minnesota.

The book, Letters and Revelations, is part of a full-sized replica of the original Saint John's Bible, which was handwritten and hand-illustrated for St. John's University in Collegeville. The previous six volumes had been presented to the Vatican over the past decade.

"Pope Francis lifted his hands with a smile on his face in a gesture of joy and appreciation," said Abbot John Klassen, of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, who was part of the delegation. "It was wonderful."

The delegation included Donald Jackson, a British calligrapher and artistic director of the Saint John's Bible; Michael Hemesath, the university's president, and former board chair Dan Whalen and his wife, Katharine.

Maura Lerner