“A Journey with the Shroud of Turin” will be featured by Yorktown Holy Cross Church Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8-9.
The exhibit will feature a replica of what many people believe is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, along with a presentation about the science, history, art and scripture related to the ancient cloth that bears an image of a man tortured and crucified in the manner described in the Gospels.
“We are very excited about this, and we are hoping for a big turnout,” said church secretary Helen Mikus. “We’ve invited all the area’s churches and the whole community. This is an awesome opportunity for anyone who is interested in Jesus for any reason.”
The exhibit in Yorktown has come about after Holy Cross Church member Betsy Boudreaux was a gifted a book, “The Shroud of Jesus” by Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, by her husband that fascinated her. Boudreaux approached church pastor Father Roger Hawes about the possibility of a presentation by the Pilgrim Center of Hope, a San Antonio nonprofit Catholic organization founded in 1993.
“It’s a beautiful piece of history, and we are very excited about it,” Boudreaux said. “It is rich information about historical objects.”
The actual Shroud of Turin is housed in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. It is occasionally made available for public display, and in 2020 it was livestreamed online during the COVID- 19 pandemic.
The authenticity of the shroud as the burial cloth of Jesus is debated. The 45-minute film that will be presented at the exhibit, along with discussion by a member of the Pilgrim Center of Hope, will delve into the scientific investigations, the biblical account of Jesus’ passion, the controversy and current research.
The exhibit will be at the Holy Cross Church Activity Center, 1214 Zorn Road, in Yorktown. Presentations will be Saturday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. It is free and open to the public. For information, call the church office at 361-564-2893.
