UD Story
In the more than 20 years Father Johann Roten, S.M., has headed the International Marian Research Institute and Marian Library at the University of Dayton, he added thousands of books, printed materials and artworks on Mary, the mother of Jesus. The library now houses the largest collection of printed material on Mary in the world, and it's home to one of the biggest collections of Nativity scenes in the country. Father Johann, who is stepping down as director of the institute and library, did something else too — he took Mary digital and the Marian Research Institute global.
A Marian scholar, writer and art aficionado who hails from Switzerland, he travels the world to deliver lectures on the study of Mary to lay and religious audiences. He's an internationally recognized expert on everything Mary — from apparitions to the Rosary, from art to her portrayal in popular films.
From 1997-98, he served on a Vatican-appointed commission to evaluate the role of Mary in the redemption process. From 2002-03, he organized a rare public viewing of Vatican art on campus.
Today, Father Johann is helping Father Francois Rossier, S.M., make the transition to the leadership role at the institute and library. Rossier, who has worked and taught at the institute since 2002, will be formally installed as director in January. Father Johann will take on a new role as director of research and special projects and continue his life's work of making Mary "better known, more loved, better served."
The Story - The Marian Library is, I would say, a labor of love. It started 65 years ago with one of the Marianist priests working here at the University who thought that, this being a Marianist university, it should have a special Marian mark, an expression — and so decided that we should have a library here.
I am Johann Roten, director of the International Marian Research Institute.
The Marian Library is a way of making Mary better known, more loved, better served. And in order to do that, we have different means. It is, on the one hand, a library, as the title says. And that library is, and I don’t think that I'm exaggerating, the most important one, the most comprehensive one, if you want, in the world. Based on that wonderful tool, we do different things, such as research. We transfer that information (about Mary) into an electronic means. We have quite an extensive Web site, which is called the Mary Page.
On the other hand, we also have this academic program, which allows us to lead people all the way to a doctorate in theology with a specialization in Marian studies. And in a more generic manner, to speak and teach about Mary.
In and through Mary, you reach people at a level that is a very personal one. She’s not an institution. (She is) an individual, a person who is a great connector between herself and her son but also between herself and the apostles. She is in the (Catholic) church in order to make the church more human. She is close to Jesus Christ, but very definitely guards the distance. She is the faithful one; she is the one who is the disciple and follows him.
As you can see when you walk through the Marian Library, there is a tremendous artistic and aesthetic collection. This beautiful woman has been expressed through the centuries in the arts in many, many different ways. She's a highly cultural figure. You go from one country to another, and you will find different ways in which she is being expressed.
The one beautiful thing that exists here at the Marian Library is that we have a very close-knit group of people who have been committed to the same work for 15, 20, 25, even more years. And that has given us a sensitivity to who we are and what we are supposed to be — and a great spirit of accomplishment. (There are) continuous challenges, but also a great joy.
Print this page
E-mail this pageUD Stories
Father Johann Roten
Father Johann Roten, S.M., quietly helped build a living monument to Mary, the mother of Jesus, on campus. The world-famous International Marian Research Institute stands as a labor of love — and a tribute to faith.
More >>
Angela Ann Zukowski
Long before Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, Sister Angela Ann Zukowksi, M.H.S.H., pushed the traditional boundaries of communication — all to serve the global Catholic church. More >>
Jim Blevins
Jim Blevins, campus energy manager, has embarked on a crusade to cut annual energy costs by 10 percent and help the environment. His motto: Learn. Lead. Conserve. More >>
Get the latest stories
Subscribe to the RSS feed to get the latest stories as soon as they become available. Get the RSS stories feed >>
