Paper Added to "Sindone 2000" Orvieto Worldwide Conference Page
I am pleased to announce that the "Sindone 2000" Orvieto Worldwide Conference page of this website has been updated to include one of the more important papers presented in August 2000 at the international Shroud conference held in Orvieto, Italy. The presentation, by Joseph G. Marino and M. Sue Benford, is titled, "Evidence for the Skewing of the C-14 Dating of the Shroud of Turin Due to Repairs." It presents carefully documented evidence that the section of the Shroud of Turin from which the 1988 C-14 samples were removed, was in fact, a portion of the cloth that was rewoven and repaired in medieval times. If proven true, this evidence would provide the simplest explanation for the medieval age of the cloth arrived at by the three C-14 laboratories that performed the tests. I think you will find this paper fascinating and food for thought, no matter what your point of view on the authenticity of the Shroud.
Posted December 23, 2001
Shroud Speakers Directory Updated
I am pleased to announce that the Shroud Speakers Directory page of the site has been updated to include Janice Bennett, author of the recent book, "Sacred Blood, Sacred Image: The Sudarium of Oviedo." Janice is one of many Shroud lecturers listed on the page, which is provided to help you find a qualified speaker for your group or organization. Each speaker's listing includes their biographical information, a description of their presentation and complete contact information.
Posted December 23, 2001
CD Audio Set and CD Image Disc Added To Website Store
I am very pleased to announce the release of several new items on the "Website Store" page of the site. The first of these is "The Peter J. Shield Interviews" 2 Disc CD Audio Set. This is a digitally remastered series of interviews made during an Australian radio program in 1987 and the two disc set includes nearly 2 ½ hours of interviews with Rex Morgan, Ian Wilson, Walter McCrone, Vernon Miller, Dr. Alan Adler and Fr. Peter Rinaldi. Interestingly, it was produced just months before the now infamous carbon dating of the Shroud.
Peter J. Shield hosted his popular World of Unexplained Mysteries program on radio and television in Sydney, Australia for over 20 years. In 1992 Peter moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, and now broadcasts his program weekly on radio station KLAV1230am, "The Talk of Las Vegas" and around the world on the Internet at http://worldofunexplainedmysteries.com through the facilities of KLAV1230am.com. And that is how I met him. In July 2001, 14 years after recording the original STURP interviews, Peter decided to rebroadcast the original tapes for his current audience.
In researching his program, he came across www.shroud.com, got in touch with me by telephone and invited me to appear on his program the following week to help bring his listeners up to date on what has happened in the Shroud world since the original interviews. He was kind enough to send me an advance copy of the 1987 interview tape and I was immediately overwhelmed at the wonderful historical document I held in my hand.
After the program, we again talked about the 1987 interview tapes, which I was anxious to archive and share with the Shroud world. Peter immediately and graciously agreed to let me digitally remaster all the programs and release them on CD Audio, so here they are. I hope you enjoy them and find them as fascinating as I did. Click this link to the "Website Store" to go directly to the description of the discs.
On October 25-28, 2001, the 2nd International Dallas Shroud Conference was held in Dallas, Texas, where more than 30 researchers and sindonologists gathered from around the world to present their latest work on the Shroud.
I not only attended the conference, but covered it photographically for this website. Subsequently, I decided to create a PowerPoint presentation that includes 92 photographs of the event, along with captions for each, and burn them onto a CD-R disc. In addition to general photographs of the conference, the presentation also includes a photograph of every speaker with a caption that includes the topic of their presentation. Of course, everyone doesn't have PowerPoint installed on their computer, so the disc also includes a PowerPoint Viewer that allows you to view this (and any) PowerPoint presentation file without having to own the software.
In addition, there is a separate folder on the disc that includes the actual 92 high resolution, 300dpi JPEG image files, so they can be opened and printed with any image editing software. And now, you can obtain The 2nd International Dallas Shroud Conference CD Image Disc yourself via the "Website Store" page of the site. (Sorry. This item no longer available). Click on the link for a detailed description and ordering information, and be sure to order early if you would like delivery before Christmas.
A Free 8½" x 11" Shroud Sepia Lithograph will be included as a holiday gift to our viewers and shipped automatically with each credit card order totaling $50.00 (in merchandise) or more, placed via the Secure Order Form of this website. Offer valid on all orders placed by December 31, 2001.
Posted November 20, 2001
A Reminder On How You Can Help Support This Website
As many of you know, I do not allow advertising on this website since I personally consider it inappropriate due to the subject matter. However, in October, the site received over 32,000 visitors and nearly 400,000 hits, causing my bandwidth charges to increase sharply again. (The site averages 30,000 visitors a month). The sales of the "Website Store" are the only income generated by this website and all proceeds are used to help offset the production costs, Website Search Engine charges and the bandwidth and server charges I incur every month. (The more visitors, the higher the charges).
However, there is one additional way you can help support this site financially. If you ever make purchases from Amazon.com, you can use this Direct Link to AmazonSmile.com as your entry point to Amazon. That's all you have to do. Each purchase you make during that session will result in a small commission being paid to the Shroud of Turin Website, which allows you to help sustain this site without spending one extra penny. If you plan to do any of your holiday shopping via Amazon.com this year, just use the above link to enter. It will truly be appreciated!
Posted November 20, 2001
The Next Website Update
This has been a rather hastily produced update to get the new items on to the "Website Store" in time for the upcoming holidays. However, there is a massive amount of new information destined for the next full update, scheduled to go online around December 1, 2001. Many of you have sent me update information and/or corrections that need to be included on the site. I ask you all to be patient with me and watch for the next update, in which I hope to include all of my backlog. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.
The next update will include complete coverage of the 2nd International Dallas Shroud Conference, a new scientific article from last year's Sindone 2000 Orvieto Shroud Conference, a list of recently released books and much more. Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all our American viewers a very happy Thanksgiving. See you around December 1st!
Posted November 20, 2001
Sadness in September...
Without question, this has been the most difficult update I have ever produced for this website. First of course, were the horrible events of September 11 and their aftermath. I wanted to say something, but I just didn't know what to say, so I quietly added an American Flag to the front page. I finally realized that there was little I could add to the many words that have already been eloquently spoken and written over these last few weeks, but I know I speak for all website viewers in extending our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to all of the victims and their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this painful and difficult time.
As if this were not enough to bear, little more than a week later, the world of sindonology lost one of its most renowned medical experts and I lost another old friend. Over the past few years, the most difficult task I have had to perform was creating memorials on this website for my fellow sindonologists that have passed away. And as a sad afterthought, I found out a few days later that one of the Shroud's most ardent and well known skeptics had died in August. Truly, this has been a month filled with sadness.
Still, rather than let that sadness be the sole tone of this update, I have included several new papers and articles, a book review, a substantial number of new links to Shroud information and a lot more. I hope that you find these new materials helpful and enlightening, in spite of the great pain and sadness we have had to endure. May God bless us all.
Barrie Schwortz
Posted October 6, 2001
In Memoriam
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I am deeply saddened to report that Dr. Robert Bucklin, world renowned forensic pathologist and an original member of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), died on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at the age of 85. Sadly, in the shadow of the great tragedies in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, the world of the Shroud lost another of its most respected experts, and one who made a significant contribution to our medical knowledge of the man on the cloth.
I am including here several excerpts from his formal obituary, followed by messages I have received from members of the sindonological community remembering Dr. Bucklin and his contributions:
Robert Van Zandt Bucklin, M.D., J.D., was raised to eternal life on 9/19/01. To cherish his memory he leaves his wife of 40 years, Patti, and their children: Barbara Frierson, James, Rik and Garry Bucklin.
Dr. Bucklin graduated from Loyola University School of Medicine and specialized in pathology at hospitals in Michigan, Texas and California. He served in the U.S. Army as captain. He graduated with a Juris Doctor in law from the South Texas College of Law. He trained to specialize in forensic pathology and practiced as a medical examiner/coroner in Texas (Austin, Houston and Galveston), California (San Diego and Los Angeles) and Nevada (Las Vegas). He served as a medical expert nationally, owned "Autopsy Experts" (Nevada), held faculty positions at several universities and lectured and taught internationally. In 2000 he returned to live in Ft. Myers Beach, Florida, where he limited his work to unusual cases, consultations, lecturing and writing. He continued to be sought for expert work until his demise at age 85.
Although he loved the challenges, intuition and expertise necessary to the forensic medical physician, his main interest for some fifty years dwelt in the scientific study of the Shroud of Turin as the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. He was an active participant in numerous scientific groups seeking the cause and studying the evidence left by the image of the man on the Shroud. After all his years of meticulous research, actual examination of the cloth and the facts, Dr. Bucklin became totally convinced that the markings seen on the image... correlated with the reported historical events surrounding the torture and murder by crucifixion of... Jesus Christ.
He was afforded many opportunities to present his conclusions through numerous media interviews, articles, books, television programs and films on the subject. Because of his everlasting quest to share his research and findings, he was planning to embark on a new lecture series when he was called home to heaven and greater works.
In lieu of other methods, please send memorials to:
Hope Hospice
9140 Health Park Circle
Ft. Myers, FL 33930
whose entire staff extended extraordinary love, care and support to him and his family.
With deep regret and profound sadness the American Shroud of Turin Association For Research (AMSTAR) announces the death of our founding board member and colleague, Dr. Robert Bucklin, M.D., J.D., on September 19, 2001. He was a forensic pathologist for many years and was the recognized world authority on the medical aspects of the Shroud of Turin. He was a member of the former Shroud of Turin Research Project, Inc. (STURP), as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Holy Shroud Guild. Dr. Bucklin participated in STURP's 1978 testing of the Shroud of Turin and was active in sindonological research for over 50 years, to which he made significant contributions and authored numerous peer reviewed sindonological papers.
Thomas F. D'Muhula, President
Dame Isabel Piczek
Michael Minor
I first met Bob Bucklin at the STURP meeting in Groton/New London, Connecticut in October of 1981. I had read everything that he had written up to that time and seen him in "The Silent Witness." As my father was also an M.D., Bob's insights along with those of Pierre Barbet were very significant in my change of mind from utter skeptic to one who came to believe that the Shroud just might be "the genuine article."
From that first meeting bloomed a friendship which was to last through the years. He was the first member of STURP to visit and speak at the fledgling Atlanta International Center for the Continuing Study of the Shroud of Turin, Inc. when all we had were a few pictures and one of the five fiberglass 3-D "statues created at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He returned again in 1982 when the Turin Shroud Exhibit - professionally built and eventually occupying 4,500 sq. ft. - first opened its six year run here in Atlanta. He sent us copies of all his papers for AICCSST's Book & Audio-Visual Library and even donated a replica nail which he had acquired at Santa Croce in Rome. Through the years there were letters and telephone calls and, when possible, I would drive out to Atlanta's International Airport to meet him between planes on his way back to California, Nevada or Florida.
All of us in the "Shroud Crowd" will greatly miss Bob, his many contributions and his warm concern for other people. May his soul rest in peace along with those of all the others who have joined the Communion of Saints and now see the Man of the Shroud "face to Face" and not as a stranger.
The Rev. Albert (Kim) R. Dreisbach, Jr.
Executive Director, AICCSST
Bob helped put the Shroud before the public in a very favorable way and paved the path that permitted many of us to gain acceptance as we promoted Shroud research in our communities and in our own disciplines. A trained and professional pathologist in favor of the Shroud was a great feather in all our hats. I personally thank Bob Bucklin for this lasting gift.
Dan Scavone
Professor of History
Another giant has left our midst. Dr. Robert Bucklin, M.D., J.D., who for more than 50 years applied his extensive medical and forensic knowledge to the study of the Man of the Shroud, both literally and figuratively walked tall among us. Bob, who was the former deputy medical examiner of Los Angeles County, will be remembered by many as the model from which the popular "Quincy" series of television programs were developed. Among sindonologists he will be remembered as making a very significant contribution to the now classic documentary, "The Silent Witness." But most of all he will be remembered for his gentle spirit, his kind and caring consideration of all.
Bob was my friend and one of my oft advisers in matters medical during my own study of the Shroud and I could call him at any time to provide feedback to my questions. He, along with the late Dr. Alan D. Adler, kindly peer reviewed my 1998 Dallas paper before it was submitted for publication and made many valuable suggestions for changes. Now he has passed to the "Halls of the Illustrious" in the Shroud world; he will be sorely missed.
Paul C. Maloney
Gen. Proj. Dir., ASSIST
With the death of Dr. Robert Bucklin on September 19, the Shroud world has lost one of its most distinguished and gentlemanly medical specialists.
Never has the medical case for the Shroud's authenticity been more succinctly and more convincingly conveyed to the widest possible audience than by Robert Bucklin for David Rolfe's award-winning cinema and TV documentary Silent Witness. Via life-size negatives of the Shroud laid out in his Los Angeles laboratory as if these were an actual crucified body, Bucklin explained the wounds of crowning with thorns, scourging and crucifixion with such gentle authority and matter-of-factness that the scenes involving him were arguably the most powerful single contributor to the documentary's winning of a BAFTA award. Personally, I will never forget his quiet, clinical explanations of the terrible injuries. Or his calm gazing direct at the camera to conclude with heart-melting emphasis: 'The markings on this image are so clear and so medically accurate that the pathological facts which they reflect concerning the suffering and death of the man depicted here are in my opinion beyond dispute.' Such authoritative assessment by a seasoned medical specialist, talking about the very basics of the subject from within his own field of professional expertise, represents the very life-blood of what Shroud research should be all about.
With characteristic modesty, Robert Bucklin, in his paper for the 1993 Rome conference, personally assessed his then four decades of Shroud research work as 'a mere drop in the bucket compared to the continuing highly technical work that continues to be done.' But if there is any validity to the now increasingly recognised efficacy of homeopathic medicine, Robert Bucklin's 'drop in the bucket' was, in truth, a most subtly mighty one.
Ian Wilson
Excerpted from an upcoming article in the BSTS Newsletter
In this very sad moment for the USA and for all the world, this other sad news pushes us to pray once more. We pray for dear old Bob Bucklin, one of the "myths" from the film, "Silent Witness," but we also ask him to pray for us, once more orphans in a difficult world. May God have mercy on Bob and Patti and may God have mercy on all of us.
Emanuela Marinelli
Collegamento pro Sindone, Rome
I first met Dr. Bob in 1978 when he was the Travis County Coroner-Medical Examiner and living in Austin Texas. I was fresh out of law school and working in a political campaign in the same building where Bob had his office. I read a story about his Shroud involvement and expertise in the local paper and made an appointment to see him, as I had long been interested in the Shroud.
Bob graciously took the time to talk to me and answer questions. From the very first, we seemed to be kindred spirits and had great rapport. Soon after our meeting, however, we both made career moves, but stayed in touch. Bob mentored me in my interest and deepening involvement with the Shroud and, through him, I soon met Father Peter Rinaldi, Father Adam Otterbein, Don Lynn and all the rest.
Over the years, Bob and his beloved Patti, his wife of over 40 years, both became close friends. They were really more family than friends. Let me interject here that never in my life have I seen a man love his wife more than Bob did Patti. She was, quite simply, his Alpha and Omega. She made his world go around. I'll always remember how Bob's face would light up when he spoke with Patti on the telephone.
Dr. Bucklin was a scholarly and intellectual man who was among a very small number of individuals to hold both a medical and law degree. Bob's medical expertise was as a forensic pathologist and he was world renowned in his field. Although Bob was too modest to admit it, the television series "Quincy" was based on his life, and he was a technical adviser to the producer. Although Bob had "more degrees than a thermometer" as I often teased him, he was never a prima donna. Quite the contrary. Bob was always modest, self-effacing and very much down to earth. He made himself available to all who sought his help and was always kindness personified.
Dr. Bucklin was a pioneer of 20th century Sindonology and perhaps the first true scientific or medical expert from the United States to do Shroud research. He first met Father Francis Filas, S.J. about 1950; soon thereafter he met Father Adam J. Otterbein, C.S.S.R. and Father Edward Wuenschell, C.S.S.R. From that time his shroud research began and lasted throughout his life. Dr. Bucklin authored numerous peer-reviewed, scholarly articles on the medical aspects of the Shroud as well as on the legal aspects of the trial of Jesus.
Over the past Easter season Dr. Bob spent ten days with me. While here he gave a Shroud talk at my church on Easter Sunday and two other Shroud talks at local churches. He decided to devote full time to giving Shroud talks in which he intended to place more emphasis on the spiritual aspects of the Shroud, which he in-fact did in his last three talks.
All who knew Bob loved and respected him. Although we miss him terribly, we take comfort in knowing that he is in a "far better place" for, as he believed, 'to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord', Who has now revealed to him the great mystery of the Shroud, His love letter in linen, written in His own blood.
Michael Minor
Vice-President, AM*STAR
Bob Bucklin was the first major Shroud researcher that I met after Mary and I developed a serious interest in the Shroud in 1979. We had seen him and some others of the pioneers in “The Silent Witness”, but we had not met them personally. He came here to Duke University to deliver a learned lecture on the Shroud in 1980. Having already investigated the Shroud and its message for thirty years, he did a great deal to inform and inspire us. We continued to see him periodically at meetings and also visits here in Durham. Not only did he have an enormous wealth of knowledge, but he was one of those individuals with a remarkable capacity for seeing and interpreting many of the faint, non-body images on the Shroud that have been a prime focus of our research, but that are difficult for many to see easily. Recently, he joined our Council for Study of the Shroud of Turin as one of our Scientific Advisors in Forensic Medicine.
Somehow, Bob always made me think of Moses. Not only did he somewhat look the part, but he was a quiet, perceptive leader who spoke with great authority and wisdom. He had a long life’s journey shared by his wife Patti. Not only did he reach the Promised Land, but he has now entered in.
We will all greatly miss him.
Alan D. Whanger, M. D.
Council for Study of the Shroud of Turin
I first came to know of Dr. Bucklin through his appearance in the film, "Silent Witness," about the Shroud of Turin. It was Bob's professional, matter-of-fact presentation of the 'autopsy' report of the Shroud image which helped fasten my attention and interest in furthering my own Shroud research, and later on, in establishing the New York Shroud of Turin Society.
We can only pray that Bob Bucklin is in the divine hands of our Lord, God Jesus Christ forevermore! Thanks, Bob, for inspiring many, many people into exploring this greatest of all miracles!
Johnny R. Watts
New York Shroud of Turin Society
I am deeply saddened to hear that our tall, gentle giant of the "Silent Witness," Dr. Robert Bucklin, passed away. I first met him through Fr. Peter Rinaldi in Turin, Italy, in October 1978. As we walked together through the streets of Turin, Bob said, "The man on the Shroud is proof that He was dead and that a living G-d brought back His body and made the imprint on His Shroud. That is my private opinion." And I agreed.
F. David Alexander
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Posted October 6, 2001
Professor Edward Thomas Hall Dies
British professor Edward Thomas Hall, well known for his exposure of the Piltdown Man fraud and for his participation in the radiocarbon dating of the Turin Shroud in 1988, died at the age of 77 on August 20, 2001. The following excerpts are from an article by Pearce Wright that appeared in the Manchester Guardian on that date:
Hall's ingenuity first came to the fore in the 1950s, when the methods of analysis he devised for detecting microscopic traces of contamination of important artefacts, based on x-ray fluorescence techniques, cracked the riddle of the Piltdown Man fossils. The techniques subsequently became a standard part of the forensic scientist's toolbox.
This success was instrumental in the decision of Oxford University, in 1955, to let him establish the research laboratory for archaeology and history of art, where he created an internationally renowned team. In 1970, he extended the range of the laboratory's research to radiocarbon dating, the more popular name for accelerator mass spectrometry (or AMS dating). The first job was to design and build equipment that overcame the unreliability that dogged radio- carbon dating technology.
The scale of the laboratory's achievements came to public prominence in 1988, when Hall's team were allowed to examine a fragment of the Turin Shroud. The material was dated as a medieval object made between 1260 and 1390, a result greeted in some circles by a chorus of consternation. That year, too, Hall was made a CBE.
Doubts are still cast periodically on the precision of the age reached by Hall and his colleagues. But he remained confident they had settled the date once and for all.
We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Professor Hall's family and colleagues.
Posted October 6, 2001
Dallas Conference Will Proceed As Planned
In spite of recent events, AMSTAR and the Holy Shroud Guild, sponsors of the upcoming Dallas International Shroud Conference, have decided that the important event will proceed as originally scheduled, on October 25-28, 2001. According to Michael Minor and Isabel Piczek, conference organizers, very few have cancelled their reservations. They also added that to date, none of the scheduled speakers have cancelled and all will present their papers as originally planned. See the "International Shroud Conference - Dallas 2001" page of this website for detailed information.
Posted October 6, 2001
Ray Rogers Reviews 'The Resurrection of the Shroud' by Mark Antonacci
Last year saw the publication of a number of books about the Shroud of Turin. Prominent among them was a book titled, "The Resurrection of the Shroud" by St. Louis attorney, Mark Antonacci. (See the "Shroud Booklist" page). Due to the large number of Shroud books released in the last few years (over 25), I have been unable to review them personally, but I always welcome credible reviews by qualified reviewers. This particular article falls precisely into that category.
Several months ago, Ray Rogers, one of the original members of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) and a retired chemist from Los Alamos National Laboratories, contacted me to let me know he was working on a review of Mark Antonacci's book and ask me if I was interested in publishing it. Not only was I thrilled to hear from my old teammate and discover he was a regular viewer of this site, but I was even more delighted and honored that he chose this website to publish his first article on the Shroud of Turin in twenty years. You will now find the article titled, Comments on 'The Resurrection of the Shroud' by Mark Antonacci, on the "Scientific Papers & Articles" page of this site. I am proud to have a hand in bringing my old friend out of retirement!
Editor's Note: Ray provided Mark Antonacci with a copy of this review in advance and I will publish Mark's response as soon as I receive it.
Posted October 6, 2001
New Articles Added
In November 1999, Issue No. 50 of the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) Newsletter made reference to an article titled The Inscriptions on the Shroud by Mark Guscin. Mark, a member of both the BSTS and the Centro Español de Sindonologia (CES), is the noted linguist and historian that wrote the definitive book on the Sudarium of Oviedo. His article challenged the theories of Marion and Courage, two French researchers who claimed they had discovered new "inscriptions" on the Shroud. Unfortunately, due to some technical problems, we were unable to include Mark's article when we put that issue of the BSTS Newsletter online. I am pleased to report that the article has now been added to the site and links to it can be found on the BSTS pages, as well as the Website Library and Scientific Papers & Articles pages.
I am also pleased to include the first paper on this website by Daniel R. Porter, known to many Internet viewers as the founder of the excellent Shroud website ShroudForum.com. (Sorry. Site is no longer available). Dan's new essay is titled, The Shroud of Turin and the Resurrection Problem - An Anglican/Episcopal Perspective, and can be found on the Religion & Philosophy page of this site. I thank Dan for his contribution and for sharing his perspective with us.
Posted October 6, 2001
Shroud of Turin Education Project Website Updated
I am pleased to inform website viewers that the Shroud of Turin Education Project, Inc. (STEP), hosted by Russ Breault, has announced the addition of "Shroud University" to its highly acclaimed website, www.shroud2000.com. In a university style format of Colleges and Departments, nearly a hundred links are organized by academic discipline with a brief description telling students what they will find. Only credible sites and articles are listed including sources representing both sides of the authenticity debate. "Shroud University" is a resource for the serious researcher requiring detailed information or the student needing general references for a school project.
The entire web site is now divided into University style categories such as "Lectures and Seminars", "Shroud 101", "Student Center", "Department of Philosophy" and "Shroud University".
Within the "Student Center" is a section for "Student Papers" where students can web publish their Shroud related projects. In the "Lectures and Seminars" section is an extensive Q&A format addressing many questions raised by church leaders or by schools when considering the Shroud as a presentation topic.
I strongly recommend that any student or educator considering the Shroud of Turin as a research subject take a good, close look at Russ' excellent website.
Posted October 6, 2001
Collegamento pro Sindone Website Links Updated
I am pleased to announce that the "List of Books by Emanuela Marinelli" section of the Collegamento pro Sindone Gateway page on this site, has been expanded into the "List of Books by Emanuela Marinelli and Others" and now includes Aldo Guerreschi's recent book. You can expect to find other books added in the future. Also, all of the order links on the page have been updated. My thanks to Emanuela, Maurizio and Simona Marinelli for the new and corrected information.
Posted October 6, 2001
Council for the Study of Shroud of Turin (CSST) Website Back Online
Dr. Alan Whanger, founder of the Council for the Study of Shroud of Turin (CSST), reports that a computer virus recently struck the server at Duke University where his website resides, causing an outage and inaccessibility to his site for a short period of time. Steps have now been taken to move the site to a more secure server, although it may be a few days before it is completely restored. Dr. Whanger wishes to let viewers know that the correct address for the CSST website is http://www.shroudcouncil.org and asks for your patience if you encounter any difficulties.
Posted October 6, 2001
"Links To More Information" Page Updated
I am pleased to announce that I have added three new Shroud-related links to the "Links To More Information" page of this site. The first of these is Dennis Stayer's Shroud of Turin Virtual Reality page. (Sorry. Link no longer available). It features three full-length photographs of the Shroud viewable using the Quicktime VR format. The site also provides a link to the free plugin you must have installed in your browser to explore the images. Viewers have the option of examining the Shroud using either color positive or black & white negative images.
Another new link is to the beautifully designed Spanish language website of seventeen year old Carlos Sánchez de la Cruz of Salamanca, Spain. The site is simply titled, "Sábana Santa" and includes a large gallery of photographs, a Shroud history, an article about the 1997 rescue of the Shroud from the burning Turin Cathedral and much more. This site is worth the visit, even if don't read Spanish. Well done Carlos! (Sorry. Link no longer available).
This third new link is to the Spanish language website of the talented photorealistic artist Francisco Trigueros and features his amazing painting based on the man of the Shroud titled, Síndone "Resurrección", which greets you on the front page of his site. (Sorry. Link no longer available). Once there, just click on the painting itself to explore detailed closeups of this beautiful image. Another "must see" website!
Due to the large size of today's update and my personal time restraints, I was unable to create links to a number of other excellent sites about the Shroud of Turin as originally planned. I will include these website links in my next update and apologize to the respective webmasters. Your continued patience is appreciated.
Posted October 6, 2001
Proceedings of the 1998 Dallas Meeting of American Sindonology Now Available
I am pleased to report that 'The Shroud of Turin: Unraveling The Mystery', the hardbound proceedings of the 1998 Dallas Meeting of American Sindonology, is now available. The book contains the presentations made by most of the speakers at the meeting, including Isabel Piczek, Paul Maloney, the Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach, Jr., Gilbert Lavoie, M.D., August Accetta, M.D., Prof. Dan Scavone, Warren Grundfest, M.D., Dr. Alan Adler, Robert Bucklin, M.D., Don Lynn, Pete Schumacher and many more. Attendees of the upcoming Dallas Conference in October will be able to purchase copies at the meeting, but Internet viewers can order the book online directly from the publisher at the following link:
http://abooks.com/article.php?sid=96&mode=thread&order=0 (Sorry. Link no longer available).The link has also been added to the "Dallas Meeting of American Sindonology" page of the website.
Posted October 6, 2001
Our List Of Visitors Grows Again
The website continues to draw viewers from around the world, receiving visitors from around 75 different countries per week! I recently added two new entries to the "List of Countries That Have Visited This Website" page, which now includes 160 countries. Our most recent additions are first visits from Togo and Western Samoa. I would like to welcome our new viewers to the website and thank all of you for your continued participation and encouragement.
Posted October 6, 2001
The Next Update
I will be attending the upcoming Dallas Conference and plan to have the next website update online sometime in mid to late November. Watch for full coverage of the conference along with a lot more information. See you then!
Posted October 6, 2001
Latest Issue of British Society Newsletter Added
I am very pleased to announce that the July 2001 Issue (No. 53) of the BSTS Newsletter has now been added to the "British Society for the Turin Shroud" Page of this site. In this issue you will find a diverse selection of articles by noted Shroud authors, including Dr. Frederick Zugibe and Thaddeus Trenn, as well as the latest news from Turin, reviews of several recent Shroud books and much more. As always, my thanks to Ian Wilson, Editor of the newsletter, for providing it to us. Remember that the newsletter is presented in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format and you must have the free Acrobat Reader plug-in installed in your computer to open the files.
Posted August 6, 2001
Shroud Presentation and Exhibit Scheduled in Berlin, New Jersey
For our viewers in the New Jersey area, I am pleased to announce that David Alexander will be presenting a Shroud exhibit and lecture at the Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Church in Berlin, New Jersey, at 6:00 pm on Saturday, August 11 and at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, August 12, 2001. For more information, including a map to the church, visit the Mater Ecclesiae website at http://www.materecclesiae.org. The site uses Quicktime audio which requires you to have the appropriate plug-in installed in your computer.
Posted August 6, 2001
Shroud Speakers Directory Updated
I am pleased to announce that the Shroud Speakers Directory page of this website has been updated with the addition of Johnny R. Watts of the New York Shroud of Turin Society. The Speakers Directory was created in response to the many e-mail requests I regularly receive from groups and organizations looking for qualified individuals to speak on the Shroud of Turin. By consulting this directory, you will find listings for Shroud lecturers that include a short biography of each, a description of the topics they present, their geographic location, how to contact them directly and other pertinent information that will help you find the right speaker for your group.
Posted August 6, 2001
Shroud Exhibit Opens In Alabama
The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, located in Hanceville, Alabama, has recently acquired a permanent exhibit of full-size images of the Shroud of Turin and has been added to the "Shroud Centers & Organizations" page of this website. Check their listing for hours of operations, phone numbers and other information.
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The images are located in the anteroom of the Shrine's Lower Church and were made from the high-resolution photographs of Barrie M. Schwortz, documenting photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project. On display are two color positives and two black and white negatives of the Shroud, each 8 ft high and 4 ft wide. To facilitate viewing, the Shroud images at the Shrine are displayed so that the image of the crucified man can be seen standing upright.
The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is nestled along the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior River. The design for the Shrine was inspired by the Franciscan Churches of 13th-century Assisi, from the inlaid Italian marble floors to the vaulted ceiling, from the Sanctuary with carved wood and stonework embellishments made by artisans in Spain to the German crafted stained glass windows.
The Shrine is located about 6 miles from the intersection of Hwy. 91 and Hwy. 31 in Hanceville, Alabama. Bryan Walsh, Founder of the Richmond Shroud Center (located at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond, Virginia), assisted Mother Angelica of the EWTNetwork (sponsor of the exhibit) in the design and building of the photographic displays. He was also kind enough to provide us with these photographs and the following background information:
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The complex itself is located outside a small town in the middle of Alabama, yet when you drive up to it reminds you of being in Italy as the Piazza image (above) indicates. Mother Angelica told (us) that the Piazza can hold more than 30,000 standing...a goal she has for the number who someday will gather there!!
The Shrine complex gets about 4,000 visitors a week and is becoming more well-known as time elapses since its dedication 18 months ago. EWTN broadcasts from here from time to time as well.
The Shrine exhibit is in the lower level of the complex, in the anteroom to the Crypt Church. The entire complex is made of imported Italian marble, Spanish woods and gold leaf finishes and really transports you into another world when you're there. The Shroud images are housed in finished red oak light boxes and are open for viewing by the public from 6AM to 6PM. After this time, the Poor Clair sisters who have a cloistered monastic community there, are free to use the entire facility for their prayers. Mother Angelica has told me that the sisters were struck speechless when they first viewed the images...and use the display daily as an aid to their prayer life.
Bryan Walsh
Posted August 6, 2001
Lifesize Shroud Photograph On Cloth Available
The Rev. Fr. E. Michael Peters, of Southampton, England, sent us the following notice:
I wish to sell my copy of the 'Promultis' original sized Shroud on photo cloth. It comes with a full-size frame on which both front and back six-foot lengths are hung and can be viewed in entirety. With careful lighting (not supplied!) it makes a peaceful, prayerful and powerful focus in a church. I have the certifictate of authenticity. I am entering retirement and wish this to go to someone with equal devotion and a keen desire to display and speak about it. The sheer bulk of the frame demands that such a person has transport and can reach Southampton, England. I seek £350 for this complete.
The best way to contact me is by telephone: 023-80906500 (Southampton). As for the photo: it is the complete Shroud, exactly as the 'master photo' on your excelent web-site (ventral and dorsal images), except that it is an original print from the G. Ernie plate on photo cloth and thus in black and white (size 125cm x 240cm). I do not know how many were produced by 'Promultis' (Germany). It certainly would benefit from being on permanent display rather than being rolled up; but that would be up to the one who buys. My sincere thanks once again.
Rev. Fr. E. Michael Peters
Posted August 6, 2001
French Announce International Symposium
The Centre International D'Etudes Sur Le Linceul De Turin (C.I.E.L.T.), recently sent out a call for abstracts for the 4th International Scientific Symposium to be held in Paris 25th & 26th April 2002. C.I.E.L.T. also publishes the journal "Revue Internationale Du Linceul De Turin," which has articles in French and English.
The call for abstract letter follows:Paris, May 21st, 2001
Dear Sir/Madam,
Previous symposia organized by CIELT, in Paris in 1989, Rome in 1993 and Nice in 1997, gave the scientific community the opportunity to present, discuss and publish their best work.
Despite numerous contributions from the diverse disciplines of Physical chemistry, Biology, Medicine, History and Epistemology, the relic remains a mystery on more grounds than one.
That is why another symposium will take place in Paris on 25 and 26 April 2002. Its organizational board includes members of the CIELT Scientific Council who represent large sindonological associations from abroad.
The Symposium has two objectives:
1. to improve knowledge of the history of the Shroud before the 15th century,
2. to draw a conclusion on the new findings in the scientific domain, particularly concerning the forming of the image and the stains.The CIELT Scientific Council invites the members of the international scientific community, whatever their specialization, to present the results of their work.
A synopsis (1) outlining the scientific interest and innovating point of this work should be submitted to CIELT before 31 October 2001.
By 31 January 2002, the author will receive notification of the acceptance or justified refusal of his/her submission, as well as the way it will be presented (2).
The talks will take place in French and English with simultaneous translation into the other language. It would be desirable for the final text to be sent to CIELT beforehand so as to be submitted to the translators before the conferences. The contributors should try to accompany their text with a summary in the other language.
For reasons of discipline and intellectual property, any communication that has not been submitted to CIELT before the opening of the symposium will not be presented or published (3).
All correspondence should be submitted to the following address:
CIELT
Secretariat du symposium de Paris
50 avenue des Ternes
75017 Paris
Tel/Voicemail/Fax: (33/0) 1 45 48 67 15Yours sincerely,
Notes:
Maxence Hecquard
Project Director
Marcel Alponso
Vice-President of the Scientific Council
1) Between a half-page and a page (A4 format, 21*29.7 cm).
2) In principle, 20 mn for full conferences, followed by a 5 mn discussion (the text should not exceed 8 typewritten pages and 16 figures). 7 mn for informative presentations, followed by a 2 mn discussion (text less than 3 pages and 5 figures or slides). Posters will be available in the exhibition room.
3) In preparation for the eventual publication of the documents, the authors should also submit their text electronically (in international format, "Microsoft Word," PC or Mac...)
Posted August 6, 2001
Trematore, Piczek and Garza-Valdes Lecture in Los Angeles
On May 24, 2001, the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, Cultural Office of the Italian Consulate General, hosted a lecture that brought three noted Shroud speakers to the podium. First to speak was Mario Trematore, the heroic fireman who rescued the Shroud from the burning Turin Cathedral in April 1997, followed by world renown artist and sindonologist Isabel Piczek and finally, Leoncio Garza-Valdes, the Texas researcher who discovered the controversial "bioplastic" coating on Shroud fibers. Mr. Rubens Piovano, Deputy Director of the institute, was on hand to greet visitors and moderate the program.
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Mario Trematore has become world famous because of his amazing rescue of the Shroud from the burning cathedral on April 12, 1997, hacking his way through inches of bulletproof glass with a sledge hammer to remove the silver casket in which the Shroud was then stored. However, Mario is quick to demonstrate his humility by pointing out that in his eyes, the real hero was the fireman who was responsible for shooting the now world-famous videotape of the rescue as part of the Turin Fire Brigade's ongoing training program. Apparently, he spent the entire rescue with his eye glued to the camera viewfinder, ignoring the burning rubble that was falling all around him, and without even wearing a helmet! Mario claims that his only prayers during the dramatic rescue were for the well-being of his own men and not for himself or even the Shroud.
It was a great pleasure to finally meet Mario in person, since we had only corresponded by e-mail in the past. I believe it is important to note that there is far more to the man than his just being a humble civil servant. Mario was in Los Angeles, in part, to lecture on Baroque art at the University of California (UCLA). I discovered he is an acknowledged expert in this field and was even more surprised to learn his degree is in architecture. His excellent presentation included a full version of the videotape taken of his amazing Shroud rescue. His narration of the tape, kindly translated into English by Teresa Fiore, a staff member at the institute, was filled with personal insights and punctuated by his marvelous sense of humor. See below for a companion report on Mario's recent visit to Texas.
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Isabel Piczek is an internationally recognized monumental artist whose stained glass windows, mosaics and frescos appear in almost 500 buildings worldwide. She is also a highly respected sindonologist whose expertise as a professional artist has provided detailed evidence against the theory that the Shroud of Turin is a painting. Many of her papers on the Shroud can be found on the "Scientific Papers & Articles" page of this website. Her presentation at this lecture included an abbreviated version of her well known paper, "Is the Shroud of Turin a Painting?", accompanied by an excellent slideshow.
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Leoncio Garza Valdes is well known as the researcher who discovered a so-called "bioplastic" coating on some Shroud fibers in 1993. He concluded that this material, deposited by microbes on the cloth, contaminated the Shroud samples used for the C-14 tests in 1988 and consequently, caused them to result in an inaccurate date. A link to an article about his work titled "Science and the Shroud," can be found on the "Links To More Information" page of this site. More recently, he has expanded his theory to include microbial contamination as a possible image formation mechanism for the Shroud. He presented a slideshow documenting his research as well as answering questions from the audience.
Posted August 6, 2001
Mario Trematore Visits Texas
My thanks to Michael Minor, Vice-President of AM*STAR, for providing the following article that appeared in the Terrell Tribune Newspaper on June 4, 2001:
Courage Saving Grace
By Alison WalkerKAUFMAN, TEXAS - Mario Trematore will be forever credited as the firefighter who risked his life to rescue the beloved Shroud of Turin from a 1997 fire at San Giovanni Cathedral. The Shroud, which many Christians believe is Christ's burial cloth, would most certainly have been destroyed had it not been for Trematore's heroic efforts.
Trematore, who was recently in Los Angeles for a Shroud conference by invitation of the Italian Consulate, traveled to Kaufman this week to visit Mike Minor, vice president and general counsel for the American Shroud of Turin Association for Research. Trematore shared his story with the help of translator Fabio Zichittella.
On April 12, 1997, Trematore was at home in Turin with his family when he looked out the balcony and saw a cloud of smoke 300 feet in the air.
I told them, something's burning, Trematore said.
He then called the office and learned the cathedral was on fire.
Trematore had just completed an intense study of Baroque architecture at the University of Turin and had made a CD on the architecture of the building.
I knew everything about the cathedral, he said. Dressed in jeans, a shirt and jacket, Trematore decided to go to the fire. I thought we would lose one of the greatest artifacts on Earth, he said.
In his 20-year career as a firefighter, Trematore said he had never seen a fire so big. When I entered the cathedral my sensation was, This is what it would be like to be in Hell, Trematore recalled. Trematore, who was responsible for the supervision of about 40 men, said his first thought was, I've got to save my own skin and everyone else's.
Trematore said the real danger was not from the fire itself but from the probable collapse of the domed roof.
Everybody working underneath it would have died and the Shroud would have disappeared, he said.
Before they could get close to the Shroud, Trematore and his fellow firefighters had to work at extinguishing some of the fire.
The shroud itself was protected in a silver box encased by four layers of bullet-proof glass.
My first emotion was of dying, he said.
He said it was as if a voice were saying to him, Go over and break the glass.
Trematore, thinking of his wife and children, said he was arguing with the voice saying, If I go over there I'm going to die.
It's not my moment to die yet, Trematore remembers thinking.
Don t worry about it, go over there and break the glass, the voice said to him.
In a moment everything changed, Trematore said.
I was not afraid of dying and I knew exactly what I was supposed to do.
Trematore told his colleagues he was supposed to break the glass and save the Shroud.
They followed him over and were dousing the area with water as he began beating against the glass with a sledge hammer. After a while the glass started breaking and others came and started helping him.
When the glass had fallen down I took the box with the Shroud and put it on my shoulder. At that moment I was even more afraid than I was at first, he said.
I was shocked, Trematore said.
Trematore, who considers himself a rational thinker, said the box had no feeling of weight. While he was walking with the box Trematore said he started feeling the loss of his own weight and had the sensation of flaoting across the floor.
The most extraodrindary thing happened as Trematore was exiting the church. When he was on the steps he heard the cries of a newborn baby. I turned around and realized the cries were coming from the box, he said. I had the physical sensation of holding a small baby, Trematore said, adding he gave the box the same attention he would if he was holding a baby.
It was a beautiful sensation, he said.
Trematore says he has no recollection of going down the steep steps as he exited the cathedral. He also has no memory of the reported 2,000 people who were outside clapping as the Shroud was brought out.
After Trematore handed the Shroud to police, he fainted. He was taken to the hospital where he was released after being treated for minor scrapes and cuts to his hands, neck and feet.
It is a real miracle that no one died in the fire because in a fire like that someone always dies, Trematore said.
Trematore said his boyhood dream was to become a firefighter, something prompted in part by the death of his little sister who died in a fire when she was two years old.
In 1997, his career choice was reconfirmed when Trematore was declared a national hero in Italy for his role in saving the Shroud.
Four years after the fire, Trematore is a changed man. Trematore wasn't particularly religious before the fire. In fact, when millions came to view the shroud when it was on display in 1978, Trematore opted to go mountain climbing.
But, the events of that night obviously have caused Trematore to do a lot of soul searching. Whoever looks at the shroud, even if they don t believe it - it will change his life, he said. The mystery is so big.
Trematore said he believes the fire served a very important purpose. That fire permitted us to talk about Christ in the whole wide world, Trematore said. If that (burning churches) is what it takes to talk about Christ, then let one burn every day, he said.
Posted August 6, 2001
Shroud of Turin Website Mailing List Updated
Since September 2000, the Shroud of Turin Website Mailing List has been available for those of you who wish to receive occasional e-mails when important Shroud news or information becomes available or notification of website updates. From time to time, subscribers also get to preview articles and photographs before they become available to regular website viewers.
To create the list, I used a free Internet service called ListBot, which allowed viewers to sign up or unsubscribe to the list by themselves. However, as of this date (August 6, 2001), the ListBot service has been discontinued. Since maintaining my subscribers is very important to me, I recently acquired List Builder software, which allowed me to simply transition from ListBot and continue the mailing list without interruption. Consequently, I have moved the list and those of you who previously enrolled using ListBot are still enrolled on the new list. In fact, you should find the new system even easier to use, as there is no longer a password necessary to add or remove your name from the list.
If you are not already on the list, you can enroll easily by going to the "Send Us E-Mail" page of the website, clicking on the "Sign Up" graphic and following the simple instructions provided. Subscribers are notified by e-mail whenever the website is updated and occasionally get additional Shroud news and advance previews of new website materials. You can unsubscribe any time you wish by clicking on the link provided at the bottom of every e-mail.
Posted August 6, 2001
Privacy Policy Added
In compliance with recently enacted Federal laws, the Shroud of Turin Website has added a formal Privacy Policy to the website. Links to the Privacy Policy are now available from the "Main Menu," "Send Us E-Mail" and "Website Store" pages of the site.
Posted August 6, 2001
The Shroud in the Cathedral
The photograph below shows the completed display area where the Shroud is now permanently stored in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin. When the curtains are open you can see the recently constructed storage vault where the Shroud is now kept. This new storage cabinet is much smaller than the previous one, which reportedly cracked under its own weight, but continues to provide security and protect the Shroud from light, air pollution and other environmental hazards. Note however, that the new vault is completely covered with a linen drape and is not visible, most likely for security reasons. On the back wall of the chamber is a 1/3 size color photograph of the Shroud. If you scroll down this page a bit, you can see an earlier photograph of this area before the display was completed, as well as a map of the Cathedral showing the current position of the Shroud. As always, I extend my warm thanks to fellow professional photographer and dear friend Aldo Guerreschi for making his excellent photographs available and keeping us updated.
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Posted June 27, 2001
Shroud Undergoes Examination and Scanning In November 2000
The following article was the first public indication that the Turin authorities had allowed an unannounced one week examination of the Shroud in November 2000 by a group of Italian scientists. I am reprinting it here courtesy of Zenit News Service exactly as it was released. Please note that I have included a personal editorial comment at the end of the article.
New Study Backs Authenticity of Turin Shroud
Scanner Captures Image of Reverse Side
TURIN, Italy, MAY 10, 2001 (Zenit.org).- The Shroud of Turin has bloodstains on its reverse side, indicating that the image of the man it bears was not copied, a new study indicates.
The shroud, widely believed to have been the burial cloth of Jesus, was subjected to new scanning techniques last November, and results of the tests were first scrutinized by a symposium of scientists. Cardinal Severino Spoletto, archbishop of Turin, released the news of the tests.
In 1534, two years after a fire damaged the shroud, Poor Clare nuns added a linen lining to the cloth to mend the damage. That allowed only one side of the relic to be seen.
The recent examination, carried out with a scanner, revealed bloodstains on the reverse side, indicating that the image was not copied.
"This is a confirmation of the unfounded character of the hypothesis formulated in the past, according to which the image of the holy shroud was formed by combustion, namely, by the warming of an image wrapped in the cloth," explained Monsignor Giuseppe Ghiberti, vice president of the Commission for the Exposition of the Shroud.
Experiments which have reproduced this technique have always left traces on the reverse of the fabric -- something that does not happen in the case of the Shroud of Turin.
Paolo Soardo of the Galileo Ferraris Italian Institute carried out the scanning of the reverse of the shroud, which no one had seen in more than 450 years.
In the one-week study, done in the sacristy of the new cathedral, a flat scanner was introduced between the shroud and the linen lining. This made possible the photographing of the central band, and yielded the unique images, Monsignor Ghiberti said.
The photographs show bloodstains from the wounds in the feet, legs, hands and arms. The color and black-and-white pictures will be published in two volumes: one for the general public and one for experts.
ZE01051005
An Editorial Comment by Barrie Schwortz
I rarely use this website as a forum for my personal opinions, but I feel compelled to speak out in response to the above article. It makes several points about Shroud research that I believe need clarification.
As most of you know, the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), spent 120 hours in October 1978 performing an in-depth examination of the cloth. Working alongside STURP were a number of Italian researchers. One of these, Professor Giovanni Riggi, used an endoscopic camera system to look at and photograph the underside of the Shroud. Prof. Riggi's resulting photographs clearly showed the blood had soaked through the cloth. To accommodate his experiment, a small section of the Shroud was separated from its backing cloth by a Poor Clare nun, giving the researchers the first look at the underside of the Shroud in 400 years. In fact, one of my most well known and often published photographs from 1978 is of the precise moment this "first look"occurred (it can be viewed on this website at http://www.shroud.com/78strp4.htm)
While Prof. Riggi manipulated his fiber optic probe between the Shroud and its backing cloth, the focusing light of his camera system backlit the Shroud, showing the density of the bloodstains and making it very apparent that the blood had soaked through the cloth. It was then that Eric Jumper, STURP co-founder, told me that I must photograph the entire Shroud with transmitted light, which I did several days later. The resulting photographs clearly revealed higher densities in these areas, confirming the bloodstains and water stains on the Shroud soaked through the cloth. Toward the end of our examination, a larger section of the Shroud (near the ventral feet), was separated from the backing cloth and again bloodstains were observed and photographed on the back side.
The article also states that this new research disputes the theory that the Shroud was "formed by combustion." However, the actual scientific evidence the excludes heat as the image formation mechanism of the Shroud is the ultraviolet fluorescence photography done in 1978 by Vernon Miller. Since scorched linen fluoresces under specific ultraviolet illumination, the entire Shroud was photographed using special UV lights and filters. The resulting photographs clearly showed fluorescence in all the known burn and scorch marks on the Shroud, but absolutely no fluorescence in the image area. Thus, we were able to exclude "combustion" as an image formation mechanism in 1978.
However, my purpose in writing this is not to argue who did what first or criticize the recently performed experiment and its results. I think it is wonderful that 21st century technology is being applied to Shroud research and have personally lobbied for further research using new digital imaging technologies myself. My criticism is that the Turin authorities took an important opportunity to gather new data from the Shroud and applied it to questions that had been answered long ago.
Last year the Turin authorities sent out an urgent call to Sindonologists worldwide to submit proposals for future research and set a deadline of October 31, 2000. I am told they received dozens, if not hundreds of responses and many of these were from top researchers around the world. The plan was that these would be reviewed and evaluated and certain groups and individuals would be chosen to perform the tests at some later date. In spite of this, and almost immediately after the deadline expired, the scanning tests mentioned in the above article were performed. Interestingly, none of the researchers who submitted proposals that included this type of scanning were ever contacted or consulted prior to the November tests.
It is my hope that the Turin authorities proceed with the evaluation of the proposals they received as originally planned, and select appropriate, qualified researchers to perform new data gathering tests on the Shroud based on the quality of their proposals, experience, technology and credentials. But I strongly believe it is necessary to select tests that will help us gather new data and not put the Shroud at risk (from exposure to light, handling and the polluted air in Turin) in the wasted effort of redoing experiments that have already been done or reproving science that has already been proved.
Posted June 27, 2001
Dallas Shroud Conference Page Added To Website
The new "International Shroud Conference - Dallas 2001" page of the website is now online and has been updated with the latest information about the upcoming conference. It includes important information that you need to know if you plan to attend, so please read it carefully. Note that a provisional list of the 38 scheduled speakers is also included, with a note from the organizers that, due to the time restraints of the 3 day conference, no additional papers can be accepted.
The three day event will be held at the Catholic Conference and Formation Center, 901 South Madison, Dallas, Texas, 75208, on October 25-28, 2001. Reservations are required. However, DO NOT contact the Conference Center directly. You will need to receive registration and reservation information by mail, so you must send your full name and mailing address to:
Michael Minor (Deceased)
Please note that the "International Shroud Conference - Dallas 2001" page can only be reached from this page and the "Shroud Conferences & Symposia" page for the moment. It will be linked to the "Website Library" page in a later update.
Posted June 27, 2001
New York Shroud of Turin Society Formed
I am pleased to announce that I have added the New York Shroud of Turin Society to the "Shroud Centers & Organizations" page of this website. Incorporated in April 2001 by its founder, Johnny Watts, the society is a non-denominational organization located 6 miles from downtown Manhattan. The society has a van that allows them to make their presentations "portable" and offers free Shroud presentations to churches and schools in New York City, Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, as well as parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Presentations are about 90 minutes long and include a 150 slide show with time for questions and answers. Also featured are lifesize Shroud photographs and other related materials. For More Information Contact:
Johnny R. Watts
New York Shroud of Turin Society
27 McArthur Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10312
Posted June 27, 2001
Sindone Educational Gallery Opens In Stockton, California
I am pleased to announce that the Sindone Educational Gallery was opened in April 2001 by Cora and Jose Galves in Stockton, California, and features an Italian-made cloth replica of the Shroud as well as lifesize photographs, artists' renderings, models and statuary. See the "Shroud Centers & Organizations" page of this website for detailed information about the gallery, including address, phone and hours of operation.
To celebrate their opening, the Sindone Educational Gallery is sponsoring The Holy Face Conference, to be held Sunday, August 12, 2001 at the Radisson Hotel, 2323 Grand Canal Blvd., in Stockton. Mr. Gordon Deery, T.O.F., founder and director of the International Holy Face Association, Montreal, Canada, will speak about the foundation, purpose, and relevance of the Association in relation to the Shroud of Turin. Registration fee: $30.00; [$40.00 at the door]. Lunch and a walk through the Gallery are included in the fee. For reservations, call the Gallery at (209) 477-3554. Registration begins at 9:30am. Seating is limited.
Posted June 27, 2001
Links To More Information Page Updated
I am pleased to announce that the "Links To More Information" page of the site has been updated to include several additional links. (New and updated links are clearly marked so you can find them easily). The first of these is to a RealAudio file of Dr. John DeSalvo on the Jeff Rense Radio Show - April 12, 2001. (Sorry. Link is no longer available). This is the audio archive of the radio program in which Dr. John DeSalvo discussed the Shroud of Turin in detail. Dr. DeSalvo is a long time Shroud researcher, author and lecturer. During the program he made reference to a number of Shroud images and all of these can be viewed simultaneously on his website at the following link: Shroud of Turin Picture Tour. Be sure to see the "Links To More Information" page for specific instructions and more information about this link.
Another new link is to the Shroud of Turin Message Board presented by Joseph Durham. (Sorry. Link is no longer available). His opening page starts with a personal statement and a poignant quote from STURP Scientific Photographer Vernon Miller and goes on to state his purposes in creating the Message Board:
It is my hope that this message board will help people, not only share about up-coming events, but will also help people to get deeper and deeper into the Shroud of Turin. It is quite possible that through this message board and the people that post their thoughts, it might solve a big question regarding the Shroud. Who knows?
I want anyone, believer, non-believer, and those who are undecided, to use this board for Shroud discussion. Everyone needs to be heard. And everyone needs to listen!I encourage everyone to check out Joseph's work, post your messages to his board and support this budding Shroud researcher in his excellent effort. I am including a photograph of Joseph, who is 16 years old, below.
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Posted June 27, 2001
Shroud Booklist Updated
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Emanuela Marinelli and Joseph Marino for providing me with updated information on the many new Shroud books that have been released over the last six months. Around 25 new titles have been added to the "Shroud Booklist" page of this website, bringing it completely up to date (I hope;-).
Posted June 27, 2001
Our List Of Visitors Grows Again
The website continues to draw viewers from around the world, receiving visitors from around 75 different countries per week! I recently added two new entries to the "List of Countries That Have Visited This Website" page, which now includes 158 countries. Our most recent additions are first visits from Mongolia and Vanuatu. In case you are wondering where the Republic of Vanuatu is (as I did), it is a chain of 13 principal (and many smaller) islands in the south Pacific around 1,100 miles (1,800 km) east of Australia, formerly known as New Hebrides. I would like to welcome our new viewers to the website and thank all of you for your continued participation and encouragement.
Posted June 27, 2001
The Next Update...
As usual, I ran out of time before I could get everything I wanted to include online. So that takes us to the next update, which I hope to put online in late July or early August. If you submitted materials and they didn't get into this update, watch for them next time. Some of the items in the next update include:
- information on the 4th International Scientific Symposium on the Turin Shroud, scheduled in Paris, France in 2002
- a full report (with photographs) on the recent Shroud lecture in Los Angeles that included Mario Trematore, Isabel Piczek and Dr. Leoncio Garza-Valdes as the speakers. Mario is the heroic fireman who rescued the Shroud from the burning Turin Cathedral in April 1997.
- an additional report on Mario Trematore's appearance in Texas
- and (hopefully), much more.
Posted June 27, 2001
Important Notice About Dallas Shroud Conference
I have received the following notice from Mike Minor, Vice-President of AMSTAR, one of the two co-sponsoring organizations of the upcoming event, who asked me to publish it immediately:
"Kindly note that all reservations to attend the Dallas Conference, as well as for meals/rooms at the Conference Center, may be made ONLY through the Conference Coordinator, Michael Minor. He will mail your registration and reservation information in the next 30 to 60 days when all details are finalized. We are currently negotiating group rates with several hotels for those who do not wish to lodge at the Conference Center. Reservations or Registration for the Dallas Conference CANNOT be made with the Dallas Conference Center.
The three day event will be held at the Catholic Conference and Formation Center, 901 South Madison, Dallas, Texas, 75208, on October 25-28, 2001. You must include your full name and mailing address if you wish to receive registration and reservation information. Contact:
Michael Minor (Deceased)
Posted May 21, 2001
Shroud Conferences & Symposia Page Updated
I am pleased to announce that the "Shroud Conferences & Symposia" page of this site has now been updated and includes the complete information on all of the major Shroud conferences held last year. The first of these was the invitation-only March 2000 Scientific Congress on the Holy Shroud of Turin that was held March 3-5, 2000, in Turin, Italy. The page includes a ZENIT News Service article from March 3, 2000, describing the conference, along with a link to the congress website that includes a list of the speakers and their topics.
New to the website is a page on the May 2000 Shroud Imaging Conference that was held in San Felice Circeo, Italy, on May 6, 2000. This page includes nine color photographs along with links to three of the papers that were presented and an overview of the conference and its participants. The links on this page are to the articles previously mentioned in the January 21, 2001, 5th Anniversary Website Update (below).
The third conference is an update to the Orvieto Worldwide Conference "Sindone 2000" page. This conference was held August 27-28-29, 2000, in Orvieto, Italy. The page includes many new color photographs, along with a complete list of all the presenters and their topics and links to four of the papers that were presented at the event. These papers were also mentioned earlier on this site in the January 21, 2001, 5th Anniversary Website Update (below).
Posted March 20, 2001
Religion & Philosophy Page Updated
I am pleased to announce the addition of two new papers to the "Religion & Philosophy" page of the website. The first is the paper presented at the "Sindone 2000" Conference in Orvieto, Italy, by the Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach titled "Thomas & the Hymn of the Pearl"(.pdf format) [181k]. In this paper Fr. Dreisbach discusses The Acts of Thomas, which contain the Hymn of the Pearl and may well be an adaptation of an older work, redesigned to provide "spy clues" pointing to the Shroud and its image(s). The Hymn of the Pearl is one of the earliest documents in existence on Edessan Christianity. Viewers will find this an excellent addition to his previous works that already appear on this website.
And from the June 1999 Richmond Conference is the paper by Dr. Gary R. Habermas titled "Historical Epistemology, Jesus's Resurrection, and the Shroud of Turin." (.pdf format) [45k] that was first mentioned in the January 21, 2001 5th Anniversary Website Update. All these new papers are also clearly indicated on the "Religion & Philosophy" page itself.
Posted March 20, 2001
Scientific Papers & Articles Page Updated
I am pleased to announce that the "Scientific Papers & Articles" page of this site has been updated to include many new papers. The most recent of these is a new article by Peter Carr produced specifically for this website titled, The Imprint (.pdf format) [63k]. It is the fascinating story of the Jospice Mattress imprint. Although this is not directly about the Shroud of Turin, it is still significant in that it is the only scientifically documented case in modern times of a dead body leaving an unexplainable imprint on a piece of cloth. Although the image is different than that on the Shroud, it still provides solid evidence that these type of unexplainable phenomena can occur. You should find it interesting, as the story of the image and the man that left it is well documented.
Also included on the page are all of the appropriate papers that were mentioned previously on this site in the January 21, 2001, 5th Anniversary Website Update (below). All these new papers are also clearly indicated on the "Scientific Papers & Articles" page itself.
Posted March 20, 2001
Website Library Page Revised and Updated
The "Website Library" page of this site has been revised so that all papers listed are now presented alphabetically by author's last name. This should make finding the article you are looking for a bit easier. I might also remind viewers that a copy of the Website Search Engine is found at the top of the "Website Library" page, making it easier to access when you are using the library for Shroud research.
Also, the Links to Internet Search Engines section of the page has been updated and all links checked for accuracy. A number of expired links were removed so you can use those remaining with confidence. The page has also been updated appropriately to include all of the new papers and articles mentioned throughout this and the last two updates. Whew! Caught up at last! ;-)
Posted March 20, 2001
Shroud.com Mailing List Activated
In August 2000 I added the ListBot Mailing List System to the "Send Us E-Mail" page of this website. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the ListBot system allows you to personally add or remove your name from the mailing list whenever you wish. From the first day it went online, many website viewers signed up on the list, only to be somewhat frustrated by the length of time that passed before I sent out the first e-mail.
However, all that ended a few weeks ago when subscribers to the Shroud of Turin Website Mailing List received the first e-mail of their subscription. And as a small bonus for being so patient, they received advance notice and links to the two new papers added to the website today. In essence, they were able to preview the articles almost two weeks before they went online. I hope the subscribers enjoyed their preview and I do plan more in the future.
If you haven't signed up yet, click on the link above and go to the "Send Us E-Mail" Page where you can subscibe. Just follow the simple instructions on the page and within minutes your name will be on the list. Of course, should you ever wish to unsubscribe, you can use the same method to remove your name as well. This is known as a "subscribed" list and is the only mailing list I will use for sending occasional news about the Shroud. Even if you have corresponded with me by e-mail in the past, your name will NOT be automatically included on this list. You must add your name yourself. In future, list subscribers will get advance notice of important Shroud related events, late breaking news and the ability to preview website materials before they go online to the general public. I hope to see many more of your names there in the future.
Posted March 20, 2001
Friends of Shroud.com Discontinued
I have decided to discontinue Friends of Shroud.com, the non-profit organization we created several years ago to help support this website. Please visit the Friends of Shroud.com page of the site to read a detailed report on the organization and our reasons for discontinuing it.
I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Kate Kelly and Richard Orareo for their continued efforts "above and beyond the call of duty" in helping me to organize and manage Friends of Shroud.com over the years. I also wish to thank all of you who were kind enough to make contributions to help the site. Your support and generosity definitely helped to bring the website through some very difficult times and because of you, it remains online.
Please watch this page in the near future for the unveiling of a new feature that will allow viewers to continue to support this website if they wish. The Friends of Shroud.com page will remain online for a short time, but will be taken off the site in the next update or two. Thank you all again for your support.
Barrie Schwortz
Posted March 20, 2001
Shroud Exhibit Scheduled in Canada
Gordon Deery, founder of the Holy Face Association in Canada has announced that the organization's traveling Shroud Exhibit, "A Gift from Heaven to a Suffering World," will be on display at St. Paul's Bascilica, 83 Power Street, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the near future. The exhibit includes a lifesize, full color photograph of the Shroud as well as black & white backlit images of the cloth.
For more information, including dates and times of the exhibit, visit the Holy Face Association Website at http://www.holyface.com or contact Mr. Deery at the following address:
Holy Face Association
P.O. Box 821
Champlain, NY 12919-0821
Tel: 514-747-0357
Fax: 514-747-9147
Posted March 20, 2001
Shroud Relocated In Turin Cathedral
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My sincere thanks to Aldo Guerreschi, professional photographer and Shroud image expert, for providing us with the excellent photograph of the new area of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin where the Shroud is now securely stored. The cloth and its special cabinet are kept from public view behind the blue curtains. Aldo was also kind enough to provide a map (below) showing the new location as well as the location from which the cloth was displayed during the year 2000 Exhibition (Ostensione).
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Posted March 8, 2001
Shroud Conference Announced
The Holy Shroud Guild and the American Shroud of Turin Association for Research (AM*STAR) are pleased to announce an International Conference on the Shroud of Turin with the theme "The Shroud in the New Millennium." The three day event will be held at the Catholic Conference and Formation Center, 901 South Madison, Dallas, Texas, 75208, on October 25-28, 2001. Those of you making an inquiry by E-mail should please include your full name and mailing address if you wish to receive more information. Contact:
Michael Minor (Deceased)
Posted March 8, 2001
Richmond Proceedings Available Online
Bryan Walsh, founder of the Richmond Shroud Center in Richmond, Virginia, has announced the availability of the "Proceedings of the 1999 Shroud of Turin International Research Conference, Richmond, Virginia," for which he served as editor. The 346 page paperback book can now be ordered directly via the Internet at the following link: http://members.aol.com/turin99/shroudo.htm. (Sorry. Link is no longer available). It contains the full text of most of the papers presented at the event and includes many black & white photographs and illustrations. A must read for any serious sindonologist.
Posted March 8, 2001
Shroud Exhibits Planned Around The World
Mark Ferris has written to inform us of an upcoming Shroud exhibit on the island of Malta that will include a lifesize color photograph of the Shroud of Turin. The event is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm, April 1, 2001, and will include opening ceremonies inaugurated by the Hon. Jesmond Mulgiette, Malta's Parliament Minister for Youth and Culture. The opening day includes the participation of 150 people in a reenactment of the Passion of Christ along with a procession of 70 bandsmen. The exhibit includes 13 lifesize statues representing the Last Supper and biblical and Roman armors.
Adolfo Orozco and Gerardo Halbinger of the Centro Mexicano de Sindonologia (CMS) [Mexican Center of Sindonology] have written to inform us that Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico, approved the exhibit of the negative of the face of the Man of the Shroud at the main facade of the metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico for 40 days during the Lenten season of 2001. The 12m x 7m image will be placed facing the main square (Zócalo) in Mexico City. The Centro is also producing a sindonology exhibit that will be on display inside the cathedral during the entire Lenten season.
Posted March 8, 2001
Updates On The Way...
Watch the site in the next week or two for another series of updates. These will include several new papers and articles, including the Orvieto paper presented by Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach at the Sindone 2000 Worldwide Conference in August of last year as well as the promised article about the Jospice Mattress and its fascinating image by Peter Carr.
Posted March 8, 2001
Our List Of Visitors Grows Again
The website continues to draw viewers from around the world, receiving visitors from around 75 different countries per week! I recently added another new entry to the "List of Countries That Have Visited This Website" page, which now includes 156 countries. Our most recent addition is a first visit from Turkmenistan. I would like to welcome our new viewers to the website and thank all of you for your continued participation and encouragement.
Posted March 8, 2001
Shroud.com Celebrates 5th Anniversary!
Five years ago today I pushed the "send" button and put Shroud.com online. At the time, it was going to be nothing more than a way of sharing some of my photographs with the public. As a reminder of just how small that public was, the Internet has grown by more than 100 million viewers since then! And so has the success of this website.
Recently, I got a sales call from one of the many Internet service providers out there, trying to sell me some of their services. The young man on the telephone asked me about my website's "business model," so I had to stop and think for a moment. Business model? "How about the sharing of information, for free, instantly and globally?" I asked. Then I reminded him that that was the original idea of the Internet in the first place. Before there were "business models."
All of this made me realize that I have become an Internet "old timer." Perhaps even something of an anachronism. One of the early pioneers that built a website without the intentions of selling anything, but rather to provide interested people with the information they were interested in. Period. What a concept!
And of course, what a compliment! I'll remember that when I feel a bit "overworked" or frustrated or when I get behind in answering my e-mail in the coming year. Which brings me to the most important element in the equation, you, the viewer of this website. I want to thank each of you for your continued support, participation, interest and blessings. Without you, there would be no success, or for that matter, any purpose to this effort. So thank you for being there and for coming back and for making me feel proud to be an "old timer." It is deeply appreciated.
Editor & Publisher
Posted January 21, 2001
Many New Papers Added
I am very happy to announce the inclusion of a number of new papers in this update. However, as I am writing this at 10:30 p.m. on January 20th, it has become very clear that I do not have enough time to update all the appropriate pages in time to meet my midnight deadline. Rather than delay making the papers available, I am creating temporary links to them on this page. In the next few days I will update the Scientific Papers & Articles, Shroud Library and the appropriate Shroud Conferences pages accordingly so you can find them in the usual manner. Here is a guide to the new papers:
From the June 1999 Richmond Conference:
An important paper by Dr. August D. Accetta, titled "Experiments with Radiation as an Image Formation Mechanism," (.pdf format) [326k] that presents his fascinating imaging work and includes 15 photographic illustrations. Originally presented at the 1999 Richmond Conference, this link is to the updated version titled, "Nuclear Medicine and Its Relevance to the Shroud of Turin," that Dr. Accetta presented in August 2000 at the Sindone 2000 Shroud Conference in Orvieto, Italy.
An excellent paper by Gary R. Habermas titled "Historical Epistemology, Jesus's Resurrection, and the Shroud of Turin." (.pdf format) [45k] Gary is a distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Liberty University and co-author of Verdict on the Shroud and The Shroud and the Controversy, and numerous other books.
From the May 2000 Imaging Conference in San Felice Circeo, Italy:
I am proud to present two excellent papers from my dear friend and fellow professional photographer Aldo Guerreschi of Turin, Italy, the first titled, "The Turin Shroud: from the photo to the three-dimensional" (.pdf format) [277k] (illustrated with 9 photographs) in which Aldo has perfected an established photographic enhancement technique to clearly visualize the dimensional characteristics encoded in the Shroud image. The second paper, titled, "The Turin Shroud and Photo-Relief Technique" (.pdf format) [261k] (illustrated with 8 photographs), explains the technique in detail. These papers overlap in some areas, but the combined information is so critical to the understanding of this important Shroud image property that I am including both on the site. Two must-read papers for anyone seriously interested in understanding the science of the image.
I am equally proud to include the paper I presented at the conference titled, "Is The Shroud of Turin a Medieval Photograph? A Critical Examination of the Theory" (.pdf format) [308k] (illustrated with 7 photographs), in which I examine the work of Nicholas Allen and compare his results to the image on the Shroud. Please note that this link is to the updated version of the paper that I presented at the Sindone 2000 Shroud Conference in Orvieto, Italy in August 2000. However, I have added two new references to the paper to make it complete.
From the Sindone 2000 Shroud Conference held in late August in Orvieto, Italy:
I am pleased to include another excellent paper from Jack Markwardt titled "The Cathar Crucifix: New Evidence of the Shroud's Missing History" (.pdf format) [50k] in which Jack continues in his ongoing efforts to fill in the missing years of the Shroud's early history. Regular website viewers will know Jack from his earlier papers on this site.
And finally:
I am particularly pleased to include a paper from David Ford, someone new to website viewers, although many of us have read his excellent postings on alt.turin-shroud, the Shroud Newsgroup hosted by Bill Meacham. This paper is titled, "The Shroud of Turin's 'Blood' Images: Blood, or Paint? History of Science Inquiry" (.pdf format) [118k] David brings a fresh point-of-view to this often-debated topic with his thoroughly researched conclusions.
There are many more papers planned for publication during the month of February, so check back frequently.
Posted January 21, 2001
Shroud History Page Updated
I am pleased to announce that the Shroud History page of this site has been updated to include the important and historical events of the past year. The page includes only the key events in the undisputed and documented history of the Shroud, as accepted by most scholars.
Posted January 21, 2001
Shroud Booklist Updated
I am equally pleased to announce that the Shroud Booklist page of this site has been updated to include many of the new books released during the past year. My thanks to Emanuela Marinelli for her continued efforts to keep the list updated. My thanks also to all of the authors who have notified me of their new books. In the event I have omitted a book in error, please let me know by e-mail and I will get it onto the page promptly.
Posted January 21, 2001
Shroud Speakers Directory Updated
The Shroud Speakers Directory page has been updated to include the latest information on a number of the listed speakers. If you are interested in having someone lecture to your group or organization, consult this page for an international list of speakers. Each listing includes a speaker biography, a description of the presentations offered, detailed contact information and much more.
Posted January 21, 2001
Latest Edition of the BSTS Newsletter Now Online
I am happy to announce that I have added Issue No. 52 of the BSTS Newsletter to the British Society for the Turin Shroud page of this site. My thanks to Ian Wilson, the editor of this excellent publication for making it available and a special thanks to Judith Wilson for the (often frustrating) conversion of the files to the Acrobat PDF format for publication on this website. This issue contains some very interesting information, including an article about the first known photographs of the Veronica of Rome.
Posted January 21, 2001
News from the Collegamento pro Sindone
Maurzio Marinelli recently reported that the Collegamento pro Sindone in Rome has supended the printed version of their excellent bi-monthly publication as of the November/December 2000 issue. Starting in January 2001, the publication will become an Internet magazine only and will be found on the superb Collegamento pro Sindone Website (www.shroud.it). My congratulations to all the members of this fine sindonological organization (including Emanuela Marinelli, Ilona Farkas, Simona Marinelli and Fr. Luigi Fossati) for their continued efforts to bring excellent Shroud information to the world.
I also wish to remind viewers to check out the Collegamento pro Sindone pages of this website, where you can find many English language translations of original Italian language articles from their magazine. Also, the Collegamento pro Sindone Index page of this site has been updated to include listings of all the articles from the year 2000 issues. Without question, this is an important set of resources critical for any serious Shroud research.
Posted January 21, 2001
New Shroud Website
One of the most frustrating side-effects of my recent, several-month hiatus from the website is the resulting failure to inform viewers of important events in a timely manner. One such event was the online debut of Shroudstory.com on October 2, 2000. Sponsored and produced by Dan Porter, a former IBM executive with an avid interest in the Shroud, it is a wonderful companion site to Shroud.com. The site is billed as "The Shroud of Turin Story - A guide for the rest of us" and provides a concise overview of Shroud data with many links back to this site for detailed information. The site is free of any advertising and includes some unique features like a Shroud Forum section where viewers can join in online discussions on the Shroud. Definitely a site worth visiting!
Posted January 21, 2001
Radio Program To Air
Joe Marino and Sue Benford will be discussing the Shroud and some of their research on the radio program, "Mysteries of the Mind," hosted by Alex Merklinger, who is originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where John and Rebecca Jackson live. Merklinger has been interested in the Shroud for about 15 years and has had the Jacksons on several times in the past few years and according to Merklinger, listeners responded with great interest.
The program will be on Thursday, January 25 from 9:30-midnight Eastern time. It is broadcast via satellite to stations around the U.S.A. and is also aired on the Internet. For information regarding the show, a listing of stations etc., see:
http://www.millenniumradionetwork.com/ (Sorry. Link is no longer available).then click on the "Mysteries of the Mind" link on the right hand side" under "Millennium Network."
Posted January 21, 2001
Video Series to Air in New York
For our viewers in the New York area, Staten Island Cable's Community Television (CTV) station will start airing a ten part series on the Shroud, featuring noted Shroud researchers John and Rebecca Jackson, in the first week of February 2001. The series will air in 30 minute segments on Channels 35 and 57. Since broadcast dates and times vary, viewers are asked to check their local newspaper tv guide for exact air times.
The station also plans to start airing a series of interview programs produced by noted Shroud lecturer and educator, Russell Breault, at the June 1999 Richmond Conference. The first of these will also air in February. My thanks to cable tv producer Johnny R. Watts for informing us of the series.
Posted January 21, 2001
Several Website Pages Discontinued
I have discontinued two pages of this site, the Research Registry and the Updates on the Shroud CD-ROM Project. The Registry page has languished with little or no activity for the past two years and the Shroud CD-ROM project has been put on hold indefinitely due to the high production costs encountered. Both pages were taking up valuable drivespace and bandwidth and were removed as part of my efforts to streamline and update the website. There still may be links to these pages in older articles on the site, so I am keeping a "Discontinued Page" graphic in their place to avoid confusion.
Posted January 21, 2001
Visitors Gallery
From time to time I am pleased and honored to receive visitors from the Shroud research community here at my studio. I deeply appreciate it when these good people take time out of their own busy schedules to pay me a visit when they are in Los Angeles. When time permits, I try to feature their photos in this "Visitors Gallery" to acknowledge their kindness.
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In May of 2000 I was pleased to receive a visit from Dr. Steve Mattingly and his lovely wife Nancy. As many of you know, Steve is a microbiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center and worked with Leoncio Garza-Valdes in the examination of Shroud samples to help determine the existence of a bioplastic coating on the fibers. Steve theorizes that microbes might also be responsible for the image on the Shroud, although his preliminary tests have been inconclusive. My apologies to Nancy and Steve for the delay in getting this online, but 2000 was a very busy year.
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More recently, in fact, on January 18, 2001, I was pleased to have a visit from Mary Hines and Dan McPherson. Mary is a retired medical technologist and well known as a Shroud lecturer, particularly near her home in the Boston area. Her primary interest in Shroud research is the analysis of the bloodstains, an area in which she is well qualified because of her medical experience. Dan is a physicist and retired Air Force colonel who has studied the Shroud for many years. I want to thank each of my guests for taking the time to visit. It is truly appreciated.
Posted January 21, 2001
On A Sadder Note
Editor's Note: The following notice was submitted by Peter Carr, a researcher from Australia whose interest in the "Jospice Mattress Imprint" led to his becoming an avid Shroud researcher. The imprint is the only scientifically documented imprint left by a dead man on the mattress upon which he died. Interestingly, it resembles the image on the Shroud in many ways. I hope to include an article about this fascinating subject on the website in the future. In the interim, for more information try entering "mattress" or "Jospice" (without the quotation marks) into the Website Search Engine found on the Main Menu and Website Library pages of this site. Our deepest sympathies go out to Fr. O'Leary's family and friends.
It is with sadness that I have to inform visitors to this web site of the death of Father Francis O'Leary who died in October 2000 at the age of 69. Father O'Leary founded Jospice International, a Roman Catholic hospice network with centres in England, South America and the Indian subcontinent. His interest in hospice work started in 1962 when he was a missionary in Rawalpindi. He helped form the St Joseph's Hospice Association to care for sick people. This was later known as Jospice. He set up hospices in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. In 1972, on visiting England, he realised there was a need for hospices and he set up one at Thornton near his birthplace at Crosby ( Liverpool). This hospice subsequently became the headquarters for Jospice. Father O'Leary was appointed MBE in 1996 and in 1973 he was the subject of the television programme 'this is your life'.
Visitors to this web site may have heard of Father O'Leary in connection with the "Mattress Imprint" that was produced at the hospice in Thornton in 1981. A man who died one night at the hospice left a partial imprint of his body on the mattress cover of the bed. This marking penetrated through the pyjama top and the lower sheet on the bed to leave a sharp outline of the lower part of the body and right hand that had been in contact or close to the mattress. Despite some investigations at the time, no definitive explanation has been given for the creation of the imprint.
It was my interest in this imprint that brought me into contact with Father O'Leary, as we seemed to share a common interest in this subject. Here was an imprint of a man's body that occurred close to the time of death, and it provided evidence of an artefact 'not made by human hands'. This to me is the starting point for any possible research into the enigma of 'The Turin Shroud'.
Father O'Leary wrote an account of this, which appears in a publication to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the St. Joseph's Hospice Association. I commend this account to any researcher, because it informs the reader of the heightened spiritual state of the man during the days before his death, and causes the reader to keep a balance between scientific curiosity and spiritual awareness.
With Father O'Leary's death, the Imprint is under the control of the trustees managing the hospice, and any further tests on this cloth would require their permission.
The work of the Jospice Association can be seen on their web site http://www.jospice.org.uk
Posted January 21, 2001
Mailing List Information
Last year we added an important new feature to this website. If you wish to be on our mailing list and receive occasional e-mails when important Shroud news or information becomes available, you are now able to add or remove your name from the list yourself using the ListBot link on the Send Us E-Mail page of the site. Some of you that have already signed up have written me and voiced your frustration that you have received no messages to date. I ask your patience a bit longer, but I do plan to start sending occasional e-mails to the list in the spring. Thank you all for signing up and for your continued patience. And if you haven't signed up yet, do so now. Members on the list will get links to new papers and articles and receive late breaking Shroud information before it goes on the website.
Posted January 21, 2001
Our List Of Visitors Grows Again
The website continues to draw viewers from around the world, receiving visitors from around 75 different countries per week! I recently added four new entries to the "List of Countries That Have Visited This Website" page, which now includes 155 countries. Our most recent additions are first visits from American Samoa, Cambodia, Greenland and Kyrgyzstan. I would like to welcome our new viewers to the website and thank all of you for your continued participation and encouragement.