IMAGE: WIKIPEDIA
St. Simon of Cyrene Parish, located at the St. Martin de Porres worship site on Chicago’s West Side, will host the Shroud of Turin Exhibit during Holy Week, offering the faithful and the curious alike a chance to experience one of Catholicism’s most sacred and mysterious artifacts.
The Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth believed by many to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, has been venerated for centuries and remains one of the most studied religious objects in history. While its authenticity continues to be debated, scientific interest and devotion have only grown over time.
This traveling exhibit, which will make its only Chicago stop at St. Simon of Cyrene Parish, features a full-length replica of the shroud, developed from a photographic negative captured by the Eastman Kodak Company. The life-size reproduction displays both the front and back of the cloth and is the centerpiece of an extensive mobile exhibit.
Visitors will also encounter a dramatic life-size model of a crucified body, displaying the wounds of Christ as described in the Gospel accounts—paralleling the markings found on the shroud itself. The exhibit includes 60 detailed informational panels that delve into the shroud’s history, the scientific investigations surrounding it, and its spiritual significance.
Housed inside the church, the exhibit showcases decades of scholarly and scientific research led by Monsignor Giulio Ricci and the Center for the Study of the Passion of Christ and the Holy Shroud. These efforts represent more than 25 years of forensic, historical, and theological study.
The exhibit is made possible through the generosity of the Conventual Franciscan Friars of Marytown, located at the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Libertyville, Illinois. They offer this exhibit as a mobile evangelization tool for parishes and communities across the country.
Exhibit Hours:
- Tuesday, April 15 – Wednesday, April 16: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Holy Thursday, April 17 – Good Friday, April 18: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Location:
St. Simon of Cyrene Parish
St. Martin de Porres Worship Site
5112 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL
The actual Shroud of Turin is housed in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, and is rarely displayed to the public due to its fragile condition. Its last public exhibition was in 2015.
