For Charles King and the students at Saint John Paul II Academy, the presence of the Shroud of Turin Exhibition is elevating their Lenten experience beyond ordinary fasting and sacrifice, deepening their reflection on the suffering Christ endured through his Passion.
The exhibit, making what could be its final appearance in Vancouver while organizers look for a permanent home, includes a life-sized replica of the Shroud of Turin, the ancient cloth imprinted with the image of a crucified man believed by many to be Jesus. It also includes replicas of items associated with Christ’s Passion, such as nails, a crown of thorns, and the spear that pierced his side.
During Lent, the exhibit is capturing students’ imagination about the meaning of Easter. “It’s really helped us to reflect on the Crucifixion,” King told The B.C. Catholic. “Just seeing the shroud and the crown of thorns and even the nail that Jesus may have been pierced with—it’s a really special invitation to reflect on [his Passion].”
The exhibit has given King a reminder to pick up his own cross and follow Christ. “Everyone has to carry the cross, especially during Lent,” he said. “If Jesus carried such a heavy cross for us, then we should also follow him and offer up parts of our lives that are difficult.”
That the actual identity of the shroud is uncertain simply adds a valuable element of faith to the experience for King, who says “it’s fitting that there is some sort of ambiguity to the shroud, because after all he’s God and there’s supposed to be mystery there.”
For King, the shroud exhibit is the perfect Lenten feature during the school’s first year in its new building, which opened in September.
“The fact that the shroud is here for our first Lent at our new school is cool because it’s building this culture of strong Catholic faith,” he said.
In addition to the exhibit, students will hear from shroud expert Dr. Cheryl White, who has studied and spoken about the famed burial cloth for over 30 years.
The exhibit typically visits churches, and to have it in a school is a special gift, she said. “All day during your school day, it’s accessible!”
Speaking about the shroud with younger students only became a focus of her career in the past decade, and the experience has been rewarding. The shroud is “a unique intersection between faith and reason,” she said. “To engage young people in a dialogue about faith and reason seems especially fitting,” particularly at a school named for St. John Paul II, who penned the encyclical Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason).
General public viewing hours for the exhibit are:
March 5–7: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and 6–9 p.m.
March 8: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Dr. White’s talk, The Shroud in the Third Millennium: Confronting the Limits of Human Knowledge, is open to the public at the following times, with a question-and-answer period to follow:
Thursday, March 5, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 2–3 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
