MARINETTE — For those who want to brighten up their March, the Shroud of Turin exhibit will add a spark of wonder.
Tony Cherniawski, a shroud historian, will play host at the Mariner Theatre, 2000 Ella Court St., Marinette, Wednesday from 4 to 8:30 p.m. with a number of talks on the history, authenticity and science behind the linen cloth, regarded by some as the burial shroud of Jesus.
“It’s the basis of our faith,” Cherniawski said. “When people see the shroud, what’s going to happen is they’ll be able to relate to the passion of Christ.”
Cherniawski will also present the cloth at Holy Family Parish, 2715 Taylor St., Marinette, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with presentations at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon., where he will give presentations after the 8 and 10 a.m. masses. All of the public is welcome to attend.
For those who would like to attend an earlier session on Wednesday, the public is invited to attend a “Soup and Sermon” with a shroud presentation at Holy Family Parish at noon in the Holy Family Parish Center next to the church.
The exhibit will feature a full-size photograph of the cloth positioned standing up. Measuring approximately 14 feet and 6 inches long and 3 feet, 7 inches wide, the replica of the artifact will be more recognizable.
He said that when people typically viewed the shroud, it was hard to see — the real shroud is shadowy and dark.
“People would look at it going, ‘What is it?’” he said.
The real cloth is displayed in Turin, Italy, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Cherniawski said the impression of a 5-foot-10-inch man with a beard and long hair is like a photographic negative, made up of tiny dots, much like the dots you see close up on a TV screen. Real A/B-type blood is present on the cloth, but he said examinations have found no pigment, paint, brushstrokes, outlines or tracings.
“Science cannot tell you what makes that image,” he said.
The origins of the cloth have been debated, and the shroud has not been officially recognized as a relic by the Catholic Church.
“There are cynics, and there are people out there that still believe that it’s a fake,” Cherniawski said. “That doesn’t bother me. First of all, it’s an article of faith. You’re always going to have unbelievers.”
Mariner Presentation Schedule — March 15• 4 p.m. — Shroud of Turin: History and authenticity
• 5:30 p.m. — Shroud of Turin: What does science have to say?
