It’s a centuries-old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man.
Was it Jesus of Nazareth, as millions believe, or is it a forgery?
These questions come to North Delta as Immaculate Conception Church displays a replica of the Shroud of Turin from March 26-31.
The "Man of the Shroud" exhibit will include a life-sized photograph, printed on linen, of the cloth relic, believed by many Christians as being the shroud in which the crucified body of Jesus Christ was wrapped for burial.
Artifacts at the exhibit include a crown of thorns, a facsimile of the kind of whip which would have been used to torture Jesus, and a replica of what is believed to be the Holy Grail used at the Last Supper.
Illustrated lectures will be given by Professor of Philosophy Dr. Phillip Wiebe and Barrie Schwortz (left), editor of the website www.shroud.com and participant in the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project, which aimed to test the relic’s authenticity through carbon-dating, its three-dimensional properties and the botanical evidence.
Still subject to debate, the Shroud of Turin is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, in northern Italy.
The “Man of the Shroud” exhibit was first displayed in 2004 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in White Rock, where organizers say more than 10,000 people visited, including more than 4,000 to the illustrated lectures.
Admission is free to the exhibit and lectures. Hours are:
• March 26: 1-4 p.m. and 6:30-9:30 p.m.
• March 27-30: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6:30-9:30 p.m.
• March 31: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. A performance by the Stella Maris Choir at 7:30 p.m. is by ticket only.
Immaculate Conception Church is located at 8842 119 St. For more information, call 604-961-3994 or 604-591-2271 or visit www.manoftheshroud.org or www.icdeltaparish.com