In Memoriam
Marcel Gervais, 1932-2023
Marcel Gervais, the Roman Catholic archbishop-emeritus of Ottawa, died on August 6, 2023, at the age of 91. Archbishop Gervais was ordained to the priesthood in May 1958, and pursued graduate Biblical studies at both the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome) and at the École Biblique. He taught Scripture at St. Peter’s Seminary in London for several years, and served as the Director of the Divine Word Centre, a focal point for adult faith development in the 1970s. He was ordained a bishop in June of 1980, first as auxiliary bishop of London, and later as bishop of Sault Ste. Marie, and archbishop of Ottawa, before retiring in 2007. Archbishop Gervais was the principal author of “Journey,” an influential Biblical study course for adults, composed of 40 booklets that guided readers through the entire Bible, and which was translated into several languages and used worldwide. He was a longtime supporter of the Canadian Friends of the École Biblique, and we are saddened by his death.
A New Publication
In November 2023, CFEB Board member (and CFEB scholarship recipient) Murray Watson published his first book, with Paulist Press, New York. Titled Restoring the Gospels’ Jewish Voice: André Chouraqui and the Intersection of Biblical Translation and Interfaith Dialogue, it explores the life and legacy of this Algerian-born Israeli scholar, and his provocative approach to translating the Bible.
A Congratulations
Congratulations to CFEB Board member Dr. Dan Machiela on the publication of his new book A Handbook of the Aramaic Scrolls from the Qumran Caves: Manuscripts, Language, and Scribal Practices (Brill, 2022).
https://brill.com/display/title/57106?rskey=bDki1d&result=3
In Memoriam
Burton MacDonald, 1939-2022
Burton had an ongoing relationship with the École Biblique: he augmented his doctoral studies there, where he was awarded an Élève Titulair in “Bible and Archaeology.” While a student at the École, he became involved in archaeological field work in Israel, which translated into forty years of archaeological work in Jordan.
Read his full obituary from Dignity Memorial, here.
A Congratulations
Congratulations to Dr. Lynn Mills who defended her doctoral thesis from Trinity College, Dublin, on Thursday, July 7, 2022!
Lynn is a three-time winner of a CFEB scholarship.