2019 Website News


These are the items that were included on the "Late Breaking Website News" page in 2019. Items are listed with the most recent one first, and each article carries the posting date indicating when it was first uploaded. You should find this an interesting look at the important Shroud and Website events in 2019.

You can also view every previous year's Website News pages at the links below:

Archived Website News pages: 2018, 2017, 2016, 20815, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996

Fall Update! November 6, 2019

 Successful Shroud Conference in Ontario, Canada

Welcome to our Fall 2019 website update! We start this update with A Very Important Message from the Editor that explains some website issues we encountered over the past few months and the changes we made recently to correct them. This update also includes reports on two recent Shroud conferences and news of a Shroud symposium scheduled in France in the spring. Also included is a report on a new archiving project STERA, Inc. is undertaking and the start of our annual fundraising campaign, along with reports on a new Shroud documentary that is currently in production and a special Shroud event scheduled in Washington, D.C. In addition, a number of new papers and articles were published since our last update in June and we have included links to many of them. There are also links to many new internet articles, videos, audios and podcasts, some new Shroud books and much more. Enjoy!

Here is the Update Table of Contents:

A Very Important Message from the Editor

This update was originally scheduled to go online on Monday, October 21, 2019, but circumstances beyond my control forced me to postpone it until today. Some of you may have noticed that the website was down and unavailable a number of times during the past month. This was one of several service issues that occurred that were all traced back to our hosting company, whom we have been with since the site first went online on January 21, 1996. We remained with them for nearly 24 years because the level of service they offered was far superior to the service offered by some of the larger hosting companies of the day. Sadly, that all changed in July, when the first problems appeared and we notified the hosting company of the issues. For some unknown reason, the service technicians were mostly unresponsive and the problems not only continued, but grew worse.

The security and safety of our website has always been our top priority. Period. To that end, every page of our site is encrypted via an SSL certificate as required by current internet standards. That security status is indicated by a padlock icon in the address bar near the top of your browser window. On July 11th, the icon was replaced with a warning icon, claiming the site was not secure, even though it had been displaying properly since the SSL certificate was put in place several years before. Technical support stated the problem was with their server and not on our html pages, so our pages were still safe, but we had to wait for them to correct the issue. More than three months later, that problem was still not corrected. To make matters worse, From September 9, 2019 until October 16, 2019, both our Secure Order Form and Secure Contribution Form stopped functioning completely. Any viewer who placed an order or made a contribution during that period, even if you received a response page saying your form was submitted, did not in fact submit any information to us at all. Fortunately, no data was lost and no one's information was compromised since the data was never actually transmitted. Again, the problem was on our host's servers and it took them five weeks to correct it! That was completely unacceptable and forced me to find a new home for this website.

By the time you read this, the site will have been successfully moved to a new hosting company, thanks to our good friend and IT expert Harrison Gibbs, who wrote the code to make Shroud.com mobile friendly back in 2015. In fact, Harrison is now STERA, Inc.'s official Systems Administrator. You might notice a few minor visible changes on one or two pages, but we have tested everything and all is working perfectly. Perhaps the best news about the migration is that the new hosting company grants us full access to the server as well as our public html files, so any future issues can be addressed by Harrison immediately without having to go through a company's chain of command. This site is now fully functional and totally secure, so feel free to browse without concern. And if you happened to place an order or make a contribution during the period indicated above and never received a response, feel free to resubmit it again through our updated forms and we will be sure to get it this time.

Barrie Schwortz
Posted November 6, 2019

Successful Shroud Conference in Ontario, Canada

Conference Speakers (l to r): Giorgio Bracaglia, Hugh Farey, Janis Winchester, Larry Stalley, John Loken, Cathy Jarrett, Bob Rucker, Jeffrey Skurka, Joe Marino,
Catherine Osborn, Thomas McAvoy, Kristy Moore, Tristan Casabianca, Patrick Lublink, Mark Antonacci, Tom Devins, Harry Hill (Guest), Cheryl White, Kelly Kearse,
Russ Breault, Jean-Pierre Laude, Teresa Newman, Pam Moon, Mary-Catherine Carroll (Several researchers could not attend and their papers were read by other attendees).
(Click photo for link to Conference page on Shroud.com)

As we reported previously, an international Shroud Conference, titled, Science, Theology and the Turin Shroud was held on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 to Saturday, August 17, 2019, at Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. The event was sponsored by the Arthur C. Custance Centre for Science and Christianity and the Test the Shroud Foundation and organized by long time Shroud scholar Dr. Gary Chiang, professor emeritus at the university. More than 70 registrants attended the event and speakers came from the USA (8 states), Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, France, Spain, and the UK. Unfortunately, the event started on a very sad note when we received word that one of the scheduled speakers, Tony Fleming, had passed away the day before he was to depart for the conference from his home in Victoria, Australia.

In spite of this sad news, the event went on as planned and included presentations by such well known Shroud scholars as (in no particular order), Tristan Casabianca, Mark Antonacci, Kelly Kearse, Dr. Cheryl White, Pam Moon, Russ Breault, Joe Marino, Robert Rucker, Giorgio Bracaglia and many more. Also attending and making one of the keynote presentations was noted Shroud skeptic, Joe Nickell. The conference was very well organized and stayed on schedule throughout the entire event. I think everyone agreed that the meals were absolutely superb and a real credit to the organizers. My only criticism is that so many papers were accepted, two presentations had to be made simultaneously in two adjoining lecture halls to accommodate them all within the three day event. This made it impossible for anyone to hear more than 50% of what was presented and often forced attendees to choose between two interesting topics. Although the organizers were very generous in accepting a broad range of papers, a more rigid screening process would have eliminated the need for simultaneous presentations. Still, many excellent papers were presented and in every other way the conference was a great success. The Custance Centre will publish a book based on the conference and all speakers have been invited to submit papers to be considered for that publication. We intend to create a new page for the conference here on Shroud.com and hope to have it online in our January 21, 2020, 24th Anniversary update.

Posted November 6, 2019

Report on the 2019 Jalsa Salana Shroud Conference in England

Amer Safir, Chief Editor & Manager of Review of Religions magazine (our sponsor)
with speakers Emanuela Marinelli, Hugh Farey and Bruno Barberis

On August 2, 3 & 4, 2019, for the fifth year in a row, I had the great pleasure of attending the annual Jalsa Salana Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Hampshire, England. Also for the fifth year in a row, Pam Moon brought her beautiful Shroud Exhibition (which typically tours around the U.K. each year) and her amazing volunteer associates, Brenda and Stuart Benton and set up the exhibit in the very large tent or marquee that the Review of Religions provides each year for the Shroud Conference. (You can see part of the exhibit in the above photograph). The Review of Religions magazine is the 114 year old publication of the Ahmadiyya community and has sponsored a Shroud Conference and exhibit at the Jalsa since 2015. The conference has grown in scope and size to become the single largest annual Shroud event anywhere in the world, with over 39,000 attendees this year! Many thousands of them visited the Shroud Exhibition during the three day convention.

Also attending for his fifth year was noted Shroud medievalist, Hugh Farey and for his third Jalsa, Bruno Barberis, Past-President of the International Center of Sindonology in Turin. Renowned Shroud scholar Emanuela Marinelli from Rome was happy to return for her second Jalsa and David Rolfe, award winning filmmaker, Shroud scholar and current editor of the BSTS Newsletter, for his third. Attending his first Jalsa was Dr. Peter Wadhams, a professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University who for many years has had a strong interest in both the history of the Shroud and in the scientific questions concerning its nature and provenance. He is also a long time member of the Turin Centro's Scientific Advisory Committee. All of us extend our deepest thanks and sincere gratitude to His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the spiritual leader and Caliph of the Ahmadiyya community, for his gracious welcome and ongoing support, and to the staff and members of the Review of Religions team for their dedicated hard work and gracious sponsorship. You have truly made us feel that we are part of the family!

Since I have written extensively about the Jalsa for the past four years and to avoid simply repeating myself again and again, I am including some links to our previous articles in case you are new to this website or missed them in the past. We will start with a link to last year's article, which includes a rather dramatic press conference that openly challenged a skeptics claims. The article starts on the website at this link: A Personal Report on the 2018 Jalsa Salana Shroud Conference in England and continues as a linked pdf file. Here are links to pdf files of the previous years' articles:

A Personal Report on the 2015 Jalsa Salana Convention   A Personal Report on the 2016 50th Annual Jalsa Salana Convention    A Personal Report on the 2017 Annual Jalsa Salana Convention

The Jalsa has been such a great success over the past five years that frankly, I am already looking forward to next year's event!

Posted November 6, 2019

News From STERA, Inc.
Archiving the Paul Maloney Collection

Paul Maloney at the 2001 Dallas Conference

When highly respected archaeologist and Shroud scholar Paul Maloney died in 2018, we had been working together on a number of Shroud projects based on the Max Frei tape samples, which he had had in his possession for a number of years prior to them going to the late Dr. Alan Whanger. Paul had just completed a paper that mapped Max's tape sample sites based on the photodocumentation images I made of Frei in 1978 and amazingly, sent it to me early in the morning on the day that he died! We published that work posthumously and included links to it (and several videos of Paul) in the Paul Maloney Memorial we posted in our October 8, 2018 update. In that Memorial I started to describe the final, unfinished (and largest) project Paul and I were undertaking. Here is part of what I wrote at the time:

"...The third project Paul and I were working on was the digitizing of over 5000 photomicrographs on 35mm color slides that Paul had made of the Max Frei tape samples when they were in his possession. He was in the process of annotating the slides but had not yet completed the task when he died. Once he had completed that phase I was to start digitizing the images. Since this was the most important (and the largest) of the three projects, Lois has agreed to allow STERA, Inc. to take up the work and finish as best we can what Paul began."

More than a year has passed since Paul's death and I am now happy to report that the archiving of the Paul Maloney Collection is beginning in earnest this month. In fact, before I finish this update I will be traveling to Pennsylvania to evaluate and collect the materials and start the process of what will definitely be several years of work. The great value in these photomicrographs is that they were made more than twenty years ago, when the tape samples were that much younger and "fresher." (All tapes will degrade over time). Also, Paul was well experienced with the microscope and meticulous in his work, so I fully expect the slides to be consistent in quality and properly exposed. That will make the digitizing process easier and more efficient and the results more useful. It will also minimize the need for future access to the original tape samples themselves, so they can remain preserved and intact, while still allowing access to the photomicrographs by any researcher interested in studying them.

UPDATE: Since I wrote the above article, I traveled to Pennsylvania and collected the entire collection of more than 5000 35mm slides and shipped them to my house here in Colorado. I am happy to report the entire collection is now safely here at STERA, Inc. and the archiving process will begin in earnest early in 2020 (after I complete our 24th Anniversary website update on January 21, 2020). I wish to extend my sincere thanks to Paul's widow, Lois Maloney, for graciously allowing me into their home to sort through Paul's Shroud materials and computer, where we also found and archived around 600 files relevant to the Shroud and Frei's samples. Thanks also to Ed Maloney, Paul's son, for his very valuable assistance during my stay and a special note of thanks to our good friend, Shroud scholar Massimo Paris, who graciously picked me up at the airport and served as my transportation throughout my entire stay in Pennsylvania (at his own expense). We will keep you posted on our progress in future updates. See the next article for details on how you can provide much needed help to support our work.

Barrie Schwortz
President, STERA, Inc.
Posted November 6, 2019

News From STERA, Inc.
2019 Fundraising Campaign Launched

STERA, Inc. Secure Contribution Form

Once a year, STERA, Inc. launches its annual fundraising effort to support the website and our other long term projects. This year we begin the archiving of the Paul Maloney Collection of more than 5000 35mm slides taken of the Max Frei tape samples during the years when they were in Paul's possession. (See above article) This will incur travel and shipping costs and other expenses that will stretch our budget dramatically, so we really need your help this year more than ever before. Frankly, with the large number of visitors we have each year, we could generate substantial revenue by allowing advertising on the site, but we have never allowed ads in our 23+ year history and have no intention of allowing them in the future! That means that we need your support to help make up the difference and every contribution is fully tax deductible. As President of STERA, Inc., I am obligated to solicit contributions from our viewers and subscribers, just like every other non-profit in the world. Of course, unlike most non-profits, we only have one annual fundraising effort near the end of each year. We prefer not to bombard you with continuous requests for contributions during the course of the year like most other non-profits do (which I am sure you appreciate). But now, that time has come again so here are some reminders of the ways you can support STERA, Inc.

Our newest means of supporting STERA, Inc. is via "Giving Assistant," which allows you to shop at more than 3000 of your favorite brand-name stores and receive cash back for all your purchases. You can then specify what percentage of your cash back earnings you would like to have automatically donated directly to STERA, Inc. We already have several supporters using this method and we encourage our viewers who shop online to help support us this way. You can save money and help STERA, Inc. at the same time!


For the past few years we have participated in a non-profit program from Amazon called "Amazon Smile," which allows you to shop as you normally do and Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price directly to STERA, Inc. They charge no fees for this service and you can even adjust your settings to automatically enter Amazon Smile every time you log on to their website. It provides an easy way to support our work and this website without spending anything extra. [NOTE: If you are an AmazonSmile customer, you can now support STERA, Inc. in the Amazon shopping app on your Android device! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations: 1: If you have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping App, open the App on your Android device. 2: View Settings and select AmazonSmile. 3: Follow the in-App instructions to complete the process.


We have also joined with eBay For Charity to provide an additional way to support Shroud.com and STERA, Inc. You can use it whether buying or selling on eBay and a percentage that you designate is donated to STERA, Inc.


You can also support STERA, Inc. and Shroud.com by purchasing items directly from our Website Store page. With the holidays fast approaching, you might want to look at some of the items we make available, including a miniature Shroud replica on cotton canvas, a set of high quality lithographic prints, several different Shroud transparencies in backlit PhotoGlow frames and a number of DVD's. Any of them would make great gifts for your favorite Shroudie! Order by December 15, 2019 for Christmas delivery.


Of course, we have also made it very easy to safely make a tax deductible contribution online using PayPal or your credit or debit card via our Secure Contribution Form (or by clicking on the graphic at left or at the top of this article). The form also includes details on how you can contribute by Mail via check or even by telephone. Naturally, we hope many of you will contribute generously since we must rely in part on our viewers for financial support. We understand that you are constantly being asked to donate to many worthwhile organizations and hope you will consider STERA, Inc. and Shroud.com worthy of your support. As further incentive and to express our gratitude for your contributions, we are offering contributors a number of excellent gifts for their support. We thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.

Barrie Schwortz
President, STERA, Inc.
Posted November 6, 2019

Museum of the Bible to Host January Shroud Event in Washington, D.C.

Museum of the Bible to Host Shroud Event

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. recently announced that they will host a special Shroud of Turin event titled, "Explore the Mystery," on January 18, 2020. It will feature presentations and a panel discussion with such notable Shroud scholars as Russ Breault, Tristan Casabianca, Fr. Andrew Dalton, Fr. Robert Spitzer, Dr. Cheryl White and Special Guests Ray Downing and Fr. Peter Mangum. You can find all the details in the Special Invitation the museum just published. The event is being held to help raise funds for the high tech, interactive Shroud of Turin Exhibition that the museum plans to host in 2021. Once again, STERA, Inc. will be well represented at the event with Russ Breault and Dr. Cheryl White in attendance. Both are members of STERA, Inc's Board of Directors. The organizers also graciously invited me to participate but the event takes place just three days before our 24th Anniversary Website Update must go online (on January 21, 2020) and I will definitely be sitting in front of this computer getting it finished on that date, so I had to decline. If you are anywhere near the Washington, D.C. area, register soon for what will most likely be a sold out event.

Posted November 6, 2019

Museum Curators Meet In Turin

(l to r) Enrico Simonato, CISS Secretary; Gian Maria Zaccone, CISS President; Fr. Andrew Dalton, L.C.,
Regina Apostolorum in Rome; Dr. Cheryl White, Curator, Museum of the Holy Shroud, Shreveport, LA;
Fr. Peter Mangum, Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport, LA; Barrie Schwortz. Not shown:
Nello Ballosino, Turin Museum Curator. Photo ©2019 John Michael Giglio (Click for larger view)

As we reported earlier this year, one of the newest Shroud museums in the United States is the Museum of the Holy Shroud at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans in Shreveport, Louisiana based on the amazing collection amassed by Richard Orareo over 40 years. Several months ago, the museum's curator, Dr. Cheryl White (also the most recent addition to the STERA, Inc. Board of Directors), and Fr. Peter Mangum, Pastor of the Cathedral, raised the possibility of meeting with Nello Ballosino, the curator of the Turin Shroud Museum, so they could get some ideas for the design of the new building they have planned for the future home of the museum in Shreveport. They also hoped for the opportunity to collaborate with Turin in planning their exhibits and displays. Since Nello and I are old friends and I am a member of the Centro's Scientific Advisory Committee, I contacted him and Enrico Simonato, the Secretary of the International Study Center for the Shroud (CISS) that manages the museum, and they kindly arranged for a meeting in Turin in September.

Fr. Peter graciously invited me to be his guest and attend the Turin meeting with him, Cheryl, John Michael Giglio (Assistant Curator in Shreveport) and to my great surprise and delight, my dear friend Fr. Andrew Dalton, L.C., who came up to Turin from Rome for the meeting. On Thursday, September 12th (which also happened to be my 73rd birthday), we met at the Shroud Museum at the appointed time and were very pleased to find Gian Maria Zaccone, President of the Centro, waiting for us along with Nello and Enrico. For the next three hours we toured the museum and discussed the different exhibits on display, some historical and others scientific in nature. Cheryl was pleased and surprised to find that many of the items in the Turin collection were also part of the Shreveport collection. We were all thrilled when, near the end of the meeting, Gian Maria suggested a collaboration between Turin and Shreveport. I believe everyone left the meeting with the feeling that it had been fruitful and a great success. That evening we were joined by Bruno Barberis, Past President of the Turin Centro, and I was honored to celebrate my birthday in Turin with this wonderful group of friends.

The next day, Cheryl and I were back at the museum to participate in a new, Discovery Channel documentary about the Shroud. See the next article for details.

Posted November 6, 2019

New Shroud Documentary Currently in Production

Dr. Cheryl White being interviewed in the Turin Shroud Museum with
Nello Ballosino, Museum Director, in background (Click for larger view)

Some months ago I was contacted by Marion Marot, Assistant Producer at Like A Shot Entertainment, a television production company in England that was producing a new Shroud documentary for the Discovery Channel in which they wanted me to appear. She explained that they had already interviewed two noted Shroud skeptics, Lynn Picknett (who claims Leonardo Da Vinci created the Shroud photographically) and Luigi Garlaschelli (who claimed he had reproduced the Shroud in his laboratory). My initial response was to decline, since I have participated in more than twenty Shroud documentaries over the past 30 years, but was frequently disappointed and in the end, could only recommend a few of them. In fact, I have written several editorials over the years advising our viewers to avoid using television documentaries as a source of information about the Shroud since they are rarely accurate. Television is first and foremost an entertainment medium, which puts some serious restrictions on writers, producers and directors. In the end, it is the network itself that has the final say on program contents.

Marion mentioned that they wanted to interview me in Turin at the Shroud Museum and other nearby locations and offered to fly me there. However, I was already scheduled to be in Turin with Dr. Cheryl White around the same time they were hoping to shoot my interview. I discussed it with Cheryl, who strongly urged me to participate. As she put it, "If you don't do it, they'll get somebody else who might be less knowledgeable." I agreed and notified Marion of our plans to be in Turin and we picked one of those days for the interviews. I also urged them to interview Cheryl, which they ultimately agreed to. They also interviewed Bruno Barberis and Nello Ballosino, so pro authenticity Shroud scholars were well represented.

During the interview process I was encouraged by the director's excitement when he learned why Cheryl and I were in Turin and decided to change the script to reflect that in the storyline. He also assured me that he included the skeptics to present several of the more prominent skeptical theories to the audience so he could have the rest of us challenge and dispute them later in the program. I have to admit that the questions he asked during the interview allowed me to directly address the skeptics' claims. Of course, the editing of a program dictates what the audience gets to hear and see, so I am witholding any judgment until the program airs sometime next year. As I told the director, once the program airs I will write a review and share my honest opinion with our viewers. Maybe we will get lucky this time!

Posted November 6, 2019

Shroud Symposium Scheduled in Troyes, France

The archives of the department of Aube, France. On the right are the reading rooms accessible to the public, where the talks of the symposium will take place on March 27, 2020. On the left is a manuscript from these archives with the title "Catalogue des anniversaires et fondations qui se doivent acquiter dans l'Eglise Notre Dame de Lirey."
Photos ©2015 Mario Latendresse (Click for larger view)

Our dear friend Mario Latendresse informed us recently of an upcoming symposium that will take place on March 27 & 28, 2020 in the city of Troyes, France. You can reach Mario by e-mail at the following address: info at sindonology dot org (written that way to avoid web robots). Here are the details:

"A symposium on the history of the shroud of Lirey-Chambéry-Turin will take place on March 27-28, 2020, at the city of Troyes, France. This symposium is part of an exhibition on the history of the Saint Suaire of Lirey at the archives of Aube. The talks, in French, will take place on the first day at the archives of the department of Aube, at Troyes (see above photo). Attending the talks is free of charge, but registration is required because the number of places is limited. The archives of Aube house the most important manuscripts of the collegiate of Lirey, the well-established location of the first exhibition of the Shroud of Turin. On the second day, a visit to the village of Lirey, including the medieval motte where Geoffroy de Charny built his maison forte, another historical location related to Geoffroy de Charny and a round table discussion will also take place. There is a charge to participate on the second day to cover transportation expenses. A preliminary program will be available in mid-December 2019. Please consult linceul.org or sindonology.org for more details."

Posted November 6, 2019

Recently Published Books

Recently Published Books

A number of new Shroud related books were published in recent months. We are listing them here and have also permanently archived them on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the new additions, we have annotated their listings with "(Added 21 October 2019)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.

Finding the Face of Jesus by Kathleene J. Falls

Here is the online description:

"Kathleene Haley-Falls had an inner desire to “Find The Face Of Jesus” that took her on a thirty-five year journey to discover the real face hidden in the Shroud of Turin. Her quest began in the days of film photography and ended with the advancement of digital imaging technology. As a photographic restoration specialist she was inspired to restore a copy of the Shroud of Turin. She explains the painstaking process in her book and shares how it also brought her closer to Jesus."

Print Length: 76 pages
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: July 9, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07V5KFTF4

A hopeful message from Da Vinci discovered in The Last Supper (Hoffnungsvolle Botschaft Da Vincis im Letzten Abendmahl entdeckt) by Rudolf Berwanger

Published in both German and English language versions. Above link is to the author's German language website where both versions are available. Also available on Amazon.de in German and English language editions. Here is the online description:

"The genius thinker Leonardo da Vinci knew the biggest secret in human history. In his painting, The Last Supper, which is world famous today, he had hidden it as a picture riddle. The whole time it was in front of our eyes, but no one could solve his hidden riddle. In his third book, the author describes how to decipher Da Vinci's secret code: once the reader has made it, the ancient picture puzzle begins to speak and tells the story of the most significant legacy that Da Vinci left us..."

Paperback: 104 pages
Publication Date: June 2019
Language: English
ISBN: 9783948375102
Language: German
ISBN: 9783948375133

Posted November 6, 2019

Recently Published Papers & Articles

Analysis of UV photographs of the Shroud of Turin by Thomas McAvoy

Once again, a number of papers and articles have been published recently about the Shroud of Turin. We are listing some new ones, along with some earlier papers that you might find interesting. The papers are listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list. All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author).

Posted November 6, 2019

Recently Released Videos and Audios

Mystery of the Shroud: Who is the Man in the Cloth?

With the Shroud in the news again in recent months, it continues to be a popular topic of interest and discussion on internet radio programs and podcasts. Of course, this gives you the opportunity to hear (and sometimes see) noted Shroud scholars speaking in-depth and unedited in their own words. Remember, most cable television Shroud documentaries are heavily edited and typically reflect the position of the producers who made them and not the experts who might appear in their programs. We are including links to a number of recent ones (and a few older ones) in this update and hope you find them interesting.

29 Oct 2019 – Interesting Facts about the Shroud of Turin - The Terry and Jesse Show - October 29, 2019 - Audio (1:00:00) - Interview with Deacon Peter Lauder begins at about 15:00 into the program.

Is It Real? Interview with Dr. Gary Habermas - Capturing Christianity - October 28, 2019 - YouTube Video (3:41) - Brief clip about the Shroud that is part of a longer interview. Here's a link to the full YouTube video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSG5okmUr8

Has The Shroud Been Debunked? John Calvin vs. The Shroud - Bible Mystery Podcast on Listen Notes hosted by author and professor Chase A. Thompson - October 15, 2019 - Audio (1:00:31) - Thompson, a Baptist pastor, studied under Dr. Gary Habermas and describes himself as a Shroud agnostic. This is the third episode in his series about the Shroud. (See below for the first two episodes).

Author and historian Phillip Campbell and Shroud of Turin expert Tony Cherniawski have created a 12 part YouTube series (audio only) titled, Mystery of the Shroud: Who is the Man in the Cloth? in which they discuss the Shroud of Turin in great detail. Here are links to the entire series:

Episode 1 - The Image and It's Formation - September 12, 2019 - Audio (27:00)
Episode 2 - The Wounds on the Image - September 12, 2019 - Audio (25:00)
Episode 3 - The Formation of the Image - September 12, 2019 - Audio (25:19)
Episode 4 - The Early History of the Shroud of Turin - September 12, 2019 - Audio (22:35)
Episode 5 - Ancient and Medieval History of the Shroud - September 12, 2019 - Audio (25:14)
Episode 6 - The Shroud comes West - September 12, 2019 - Audio (26:15)
Episode 7 - The Science of the Shroud (part 1) - September 12, 2019 - Audio (23:59)
Episode 8 - The Science of the Shroud (part 2) - September 12, 2019 - Audio (25:05)
Episode 9 - The Science of the Shroud (part 3) - September 13, 2019 - Audio (25:00)
Episode 10 - The Science of the Shroud (part 4) - September 13, 2019 - Audio (25:54)
Episode 11 - The Devotional Value of the Shroud (part 1) - September 13, 2019 - Audio (25:00)
Episode 12 - The Devotional Value of the Shroud (part 2) - September 13, 2019 - Audio (25:45)

Busting Shroud Myths: Did Carbon 14 dating prove that The Shroud of Turin was a fake? - Bible Mystery Podcast on Listen Notes hosted by author and professor Chase A. Thompson - August 30, 2019 - Audio (59:28) - This is the second episode in the series. It is obvious from this presentation that Professor Thompson has done his homework thoroughly. Here is the introduction from the Listen Notes website: "The Shroud has been definitely proven a medieval fake by scientific dating and other scientific inquiry (or, has it?)"

The Miracle Hunter for August 4, 2019 - The Miracle Hunter Radio Program on Relevant Radio hosted by Michael O'Neill - August 7, 2019 - Audio (42:04) - Includes an interview with Tristan Casabianca, author of the March 2019 Archaeometry paper. Interview starts around 10:00 minutes into the program and runs for about 8 minutes.

The Shroud of Turin Introduction - Bible Mystery Podcast on Listen Notes hosted by author and professor Chase A. Thompson - July 26, 2019 - Audio (36:32) - Thompson, a Baptist pastor, studied under Dr. Gary Habermas and describes himself as a Shroud agnostic. He comes across as very balanced and intellectually honest and plans to do a series of 4 or 5 episodes on the Shroud. This is Part 1 - an overview.

Wrapped Up in the Shroud - New Horizons on Talk Zone - July 8, 2019 - Audio (30:00 approx.) - Part 1 of a two part interview with Joe Marino.

Joseph Marino on the Shroud of Turin Part 2 - New Horizons on Talk Zone - July 15, 2019 - Audio (30:00 approx.) - Part 2 of a two part interview with Joe Marino.

Dr. (Andrew) Silverman: Shroud of Turin - God-Talk on Soundcloud - 2016 - Audio (1:02:31) - Fascinating interview with British Shroud scholar Dr. Andrew Silverman. Here is an excerpt from the program website: "His theories about the image of the man on the shroud connects quantum physics, cosmology, theology, the nature of free will and the Christian faith. This is a compelling episode of God-Talk seeking to rightly divide the line of faith and science."

Unbelievable? Is the Turin Shroud the burial cloth of Christ? Alan Whanger vs Hugh Farey - Debate hosted by Justin Brierley on Premier Christian Radio - April 4, 2015 - Audio (1:20:09) - Older but interesting debate between the late Dr. Alan Whanger and noted British Shroud medievalist, Hugh Farey.

The Turin Shroud - a relic of the resurrection? Unbelievable? - Interviews by Justin Brierley on Premier Christian Radio - April 23, 2014 - Audio (28:01) - Even older, but an excellent program on the Shroud, featuring among others, Dr. Brian Miller, PhD., a physicist who had been basically agnostic but for whom the Shroud propelled him to faith - he called the Shroud "a videotape of the Resurrection." The late Dr. Alan Whanger is also interviewed in this program.

Posted November 6, 2019

The Shroud on the Internet

Inside the Shroud Museum in Pigeon Forge (17 photos)

Due to several recent Shroud conferences and the interest sparked by the radiocarbon dating paper published in Archaeometry earlier this year (and perhaps because of a growing interest in the Shroud in general), we once again had a huge number of links to Shroud related content to choose from. Deciding which to include is never easy and we want to provide you with the most credible and interesting information available. This time, there were so many that we could only include a selection of them here (although admittedly, a rather LARGE selection). I am sure you will find at least some of them interesting. Several of the articles are from international publications that originally were published in Italian, French or other languages, so we extend our sincere thanks to Joe Marino for taking the time to create the English translations that we have included here. The links are listed chronologically with the most recent item at the top.

Posted November 6, 2019

Our Next Update

Our next update will go online on January 21, 2020 and will mark our 24th Anniversary on the internet. If all goes according to plan, that update will premier a new page dedicated to the Ancaster Shroud Conference that took place this past August. Of course, it will also include the latest papers, books, articles, podcasts, videos and any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since we now try and update it frequently to keep you informed between our regular website updates. You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or any important Shroud news breaks. We hope you find this update interesting and useful and look forward to seeing you in the new year! In fact, let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a joyous and healthy New Year! Thank you all again for being there! It is deeply appreciated.

Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.

Posted November 6, 2019

Spring/Summer Update! June 10, 2019

 New Shroud C14 paper available!

Welcome to our Spring/Summer website update! My busy travel and lecture schedule over the past few months limited my ability to get an update completed and a flood of important new information has arrived over the past few weeks, resulting in a massive backlog, so today's update is one of the biggest we have ever done. We lead off with the publication of an important new paper addressing the radiocarbon dating of 1988, but this time based on the original raw data which took 29 years and legal action to obtain! Next is news of an important new website featuring the 1978 Shroud photographs of Vernon D. Miller and an update on the original Holy Face Billboard Project in Ireland. Also featured are two new Shroud Museums here in the U.S. and the possibility of a third one in the foreseeable future. The update also includes memorials for two Shroud scholars who passed away in recent months. In addition, there was a huge volume of new papers and articles that were published over the Lenten season and we have done our best to include as many of them as possible. There are also links to many new Shroud media stories, videos, audios and podcasts on the internet, some new Shroud books and much more. We hope you find this information useful and interesting. Pack a lunch (and a snack) and enjoy!

Here is the Update Table of Contents:

Important New Paper - Radiocarbon Dating of the Turin Shroud: New Evidence From Raw Data

Radiocarbon Dating of the Turin Shroud: New Evidence From Raw Data
by Tristan Casabianca, Emanuela Marinelli, Giuseppe Pernagallo and Benedetto Torrisi

For more than 29 years, every request for the release of the raw data from the three laboratories that performed the radiocarbon dating of the Shroud of Turin in 1988 was declined. Then, in 2017, French Shroud researcher Tristan Casabianca used the Freedom of Information Act in the United Kingdom that compelled the British Museum to finally release the long awaited data. The British Museum had acted as the formal supervisor of the three laboratories (Oxford, Zurich and Arizona) during the process and apparently, maintained the archive of all the data. Tristan, working with Emanuela Marinelli, Giuseppe Pernagallo and Benedetto Torrisi, have now completed the first analysis of that raw data and, on 22 March 2019, published a paper titled, Radiocarbon Dating of the Turin Shroud: New Evidence From Raw Data, in the peer reviewed journal Archaeometry. Perhaps the greatest irony here is that the journal Archaeometry itself is published by Oxford! Here is the abstract:

"In 1988, three laboratories performed a radiocarbon analysis of the Turin Shroud. The results, which were centralized by the British Museum and published in Nature in 1989, provided ‘conclusive evidence’ of the medieval origin of the artefact. However, the raw data were never released by the institutions. In 2017, in response to a legal request, all raw data kept by the British Museum were made accessible. A statistical analysis of the Nature article and the raw data strongly suggests that homogeneity is lacking in the data and that the procedure should be reconsidered."

Needless to say, the arrival of this paper has been long awaited by Shroud scholars around the world since it provides the first real look at what is essentially, brand new data (the first in almost 30 years). Unfortunately, the paper itself is currently behind a pay wall which might make it difficult for many to read it so I am quoting the last few sentences here:

"The statistical analyses, supported by the foreign material found by the laboratories, show the necessity of a new radiocarbon dating to compute a new reliable interval. This new test requires, in an interdisciplinary research, a robust protocol. Without this re-analysis, it is not possible to affirm that the 1988 radiocarbon dating offers ‘conclusive evidence’ that the calendar age range is accurate and representative of the whole cloth."

I think an excellent assessment of the paper's importance was clearly stated in a private correspondence from Prof. Bruno Barberis recently:

"The results shown in the article published in Archaeometry represent an important step forward since it was finally possible to examine the raw data obtained from the three laboratories and better understand the anomalies and errors made in the dating operation."

On May 17, 2019, Tristan wrote to let us know that "on Thursday, 23 May, a conference will take place at the University of Catania. Its title: 'Dating of the Turin Shroud: it all has to be redone' (la datazione della sacra sindone, tutto da rifare). It has been organized and will be moderated by Prof. Benedetto Torrisi. The intervenants will be: Prof. Marco Riani, Prof. Paolo di Lazzaro, Dr. Giuseppe Pernagallo, Emanuela Marinelli, Prof. Bruno Barberis and me. The starting point will be our article in Archaeometry." Here is a link to the University web site for a detailed presentation (in Italian): La datazione della Sacra Sindone: tutto da rifare.

On May 23, 2019, the meeting was successfully held in Catania, news of which generated considerable media attention. We are including links to a number of responses to the paper when it was first published, as well as links to post-conference comments and articles, both from the participants and from the popular press. A special note of thanks to Joe Marino for his important assistance in obtaining English language translations for us.

Posted June 10, 2019

New Website Features Vernon D. Miller's 1978 Shroud Photographs

Link to Shroudphotos.com

Vernon D. Miller was the Chief Scientific Photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), the team that conducted the first in-depth scientific examination of the cloth in 1978. Sadly, Vern passed away in 2008 and access to his important library of scientific photography has not been available for the past eleven years. Now, thanks to the dedicated efforts of noted Shroud scholar Dr. Gilbert Lavoie and Thomas D'Muhala, former president of STURP, the collection has been digitized and an important new website has been created that finally gives everyone access to the Vern Miller photographs. The site is named Shroudphotos.com and provides access to his black and white photographs, his color transparencies and negatives, the ultraviolet fluorescence and reflectance photographs he made and much more. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Lavoie and Tom for taking the the time and effort to make this important Shroud resource available to everyone.

Here are links to the two papers Vern co-authored on the topic of his scientific Shroud photography:

Posted June 10, 2019

Debunking the Debunkers: Revisited

Controversial Paper
A BPA Approach to the Shroud of Turin
by Matteo Borrini and Luigi Garlaschelli

In our October 8, 2018 update we included an article titled, Debunking the Debunkers, that addressed a paper published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences titled, A BPA Approach to the Shroud of Turin by Matteo Borrini and noted Shroud skeptic, Luigi Garlaschelli. Upon its publication, the typical media frenzy ensued proclaiming the Shroud a "fake" and Shroud scholars from around the world began writing rebuttals to challenge the paper's conclusions. We included many media reports and credible rebuttals in that update. As I mentioned at the time, I suspected that more Shroud scholars would be responding and my prediction was accurate. Included here are links to several additional comments and papers that have been published more recently that address the issue head on.

Posted June 10, 2019

New Shroud Museums in the U.S.A.

Museum of the Holy Shroud in Shreveport, Louisiana
(Link to Museum website)

On May 4, 2019, I had the pleasure of attending the Dedication of the new Museum of the Holy Shroud at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was not a coincidence that May 4th is also the Official Feast Day of the Holy Shroud. But I am getting ahead of myself. There are some things you need to know first so you can appreciate the importance of the material that forms the core of the new museum's collection. Some of you may not know the name Richard Orareo, but to those of us involved in Shroud research and education, he is more than well known. In fact, Richard is one of the founding Board members of STERA, Inc. Over the past 40 years, Richard amassed an amazing collection of Shroud books, engravings, artworks, medallions, relics, coins, stamps and much more, some dating back to the 15th century. That makes it the third largest Shroud collection in the world, second only to the Savoy family's private collection and the Shroud Museum in Turin and the largest Shroud collection in North America. Originally from Boston, Richard moved his massive collection to Wabash, Indiana some years ago. However, for the past 20 years he and I have discussed finding a permanent home for the materials where they would be made freely available to the public and not be tucked away in some storage locker or warehouse. Over the years he evaluated a number of locations, some here in the U.S. and some in Europe, but none met Richard's stringent requirements.

In March of 2018 I was invited to Shreveport by Dr. Cheryl White, Professor of History at Louisiana State University (LSU) and Fr. Peter Mangum, pastor of the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, both avid Shroud scholars in their own right. I made several presentations to the high school and parishioners, appeared on Dr. White's and Fr. Peter's podcast and got to know them better. At one point, they asked if I knew who Richard Orareo was, since they had received a letter from him asking if they might be interested in his collection. Knowing Richard for so many years and knowing his strong desire to find a home for his collection, I let them know more about him and the materials he had collected. Over the next months, Dr. White and Fr. Peter went to Wabash on several occasions to view the collection and decide if it would be right for Shreveport. It was also important that all of Richard's questions and concerns be answered and addressed. In the end, they obviously were, since the collection was moved to Shreveport some months ago with Richard's blessings. That brings us to May 4th and the official opening of the Museum of the Holy Shroud. At this point in time, the exhibit has a temporary home in the Parish Hall and will be available to the public until the end of July. The materials are so extensive that only 25% of them are currently on display. The really amazing news is that the parish has committed to build a new building to house the collection on a lot they own next to the Cathedral. It will be a dedicated museum housing the entire collection and will be free to the public as well. The new building is still a few years away, but this is a great start! Want to see more of the materials at the museum? Visit their website at the above link or, if you can, visit the museum itself.

The dedication ceremonies included a presentation by Janis Winchester on the VP-8 image analyzer. Janis spent considerable time with the late Kevin Moran studying the VP-8 and its uses. She had a working VP-8 with her (one of only 3 left on the planet) to demonstrate the unique property of the Shroud image which it revealed for the first time in 1976. That marked the first time this image property was visualized using a scientific instrument. In the end, it became the catalyst for the forming of the STURP team. Interestingly, this VP-8 also came from Richard's collection, so at the end of the event Janis donated it to the museum in Richard's name. It will give future museum visitors the same opportunity the STURP team members had so many years ago when they first encountered the Shroud and will be one of the very important exhibits on display. The day of the dedication, visitors came from as far away as Texas to view the museum. Dr. White tried closing the doors at the appointed time of 2:00 p.m. but it took another hour since visitors just kept coming. This was a big event in Shreveport and made the front page of the local newspaper, so I am also including a few links below that you might find interesting.


Shroud Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
(Link to Museum website)

I am pleased to announce that the new Shroud Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has officially opened and is being billed as the "Most Thought Provoking & Inspiring Exhibit in the Smoky Mountains." The museum's founder, Lonnie Abrams, contacted us more than a year ago and we worked with him to provide 80 of the images they have on display, including a lifesize replica of the Shroud and photographs of the STURP team at work. The exhibit also includes a full size Garden Tomb, implements of the Passion and much more and you will soon be able to see a working VP-8 Image Analyzer in action. The official ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony took place on Thursday, May 16th. The museum is located at 2884 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863, and will be open seven days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Phone: 865-366-3770. Visit their website at: theshroudmuseum.com.

Pigeon Forge is a mountain town and vacation area in eastern Tennessee, and the home of Dollywood, country singer Dolly Parton's Appalachian-themed park consisting of rides, an adjoining water park and a museum of her costumes and memorabilia. The city's other attractions include country music revues like the Smoky Mountain Opry, dinner theaters such as Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede and outlet malls. Lonnie's goal is to make the Shroud available to the 11-13 million tourists that visit the area each year. For a video tour of the Shroud Museum, see the YouTube video by The Carpetbagger, a popular blogger who visited the museum and posted his video online: The Shroud Museum - Pigeon Forge, TN. (12:55)


History Floor, Museum of the Bible, Washington, D.C.
Photo © 2019 Museum of the Bible

In our June 21, 2018 update we included an article about a new, non-profit organization named the Sign From God Foundation, formed by a group of noted Shroud scholars including Myra and David Adams, Russ Breault and Mark Antonacci. One of the first projects the new organization settled on was to approach the Museum of the Bible (MOTB) in Washington, D.C., and convince them to consider producing a modern, 21st century, permanent Shroud exhibit in their beautiful, multi-million dollar, high tech facility. After months of meetings, presentations and in-depth discussions, the decision was made by the museum to proceed to the next step and the formal announcement was made on April 23, 2019 at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Myra, who is a respected, published writer in her own right, has graciously drafted an article for us with all the details, so we are including it here:

Here is some groundbreaking Shroud news: On April 23, the following announcement was made from the podium at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.: "The Museum of the Bible is excited to propose a groundbreaking, high-tech, innovative exhibition about the Shroud of Turin with a mission to explore its history, mysteries, facets, and themes by utilizing state-of-the-art imaginative displays." The operative phrase is "excited to propose. In order for the Museum to produce what will be the most creative, high-tech Shroud exhibition the world has ever seen, it will need to raise at least $2 million. News of the proposed exhibit first appeared on Townhall in a piece by Myra Adams that was later picked-up by Aleteia." (Continue Reading)

Posted June 10, 2019

In Memoriam

     Kevin Moran

It is with deep sadness that I must report the passing on March 27, 2019, of our dear friend and colleague, optical engineer Kevin Moran, at his home in Belmont, North Carolina. Kevin and I had been friends since the early 1990's and spoke on the phone frequently. I spent several days at his home in 1997 to shoot video off the screen of his VP-8 image analyzer and he spent a full week at my home here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado several years ago. We spent that week talking (and arguing) about the Shroud and faith, but we both enjoyed every minute of it. I believe we grew much closer together during that week and I am grateful that we had that time together. Just two weeks before his passing I decided to give him a call to see how he was doing. His health had been declining over the past few years and he had taken a serious fall last year that immobilized him for some time. One of his daughters answered the phone and as soon as he heard it was me, he got on the line to speak with me. I was somewhat shocked when he started the conversation by telling me that he was now under hospice care! He fully understood what that meant, and so did I. But Kevin was a man of faith, so instead of showing any concern over his impending passing, he was happy that he would soon be reunited with his loving wife Ann. I found myself at a loss for words and we said our goodbyes after about ten minutes. I think I knew at that moment it was the last time I would be speaking with him. It was a sad moment indeed.

I have since learned that just a few days after we spoke, Kevin gave an impromptu Shroud presentation to about 40 people at his home. It was to be his last presentation. Sadly, he declined rapidly after that. At 6:37 in the evening on March 27th, I received the following short message from Kevin's daughter Julie: "Kevin Moran is now basking in the REAL Light of the Man of the Shroud." She also asked that I share that information with other Shroud friends and contacts, which I did with a heavy heart that evening. Kevin's passing is a great loss to all of us who knew and loved him and a sad day for Sindonology. We extend our sincerest sympathies and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace my brother...

Barrie Schwortz
***************

Needless to say, there was an immediate outpouring of sympathy and comments from Kevin's friends and colleagues around the world so we are reprinting them here:

I just received word from Kevin Moran's daughter that Kevin has passed away. I visited Kevin last week and I could see that he was starting to fade. He was on Hospice and several of his family members were present. He just turned 85, the week before last. Those of you who knew Kevin will remember what an intelligent, fun, and loving person he was. Rest In Peace, my friend.

Kelly Kearse
***************

He will surely be missed. Rest in Peace, Kevin.

Giorgio Bracaglia
***************

So saddened to hear. What an awesome man and dear friend. I will miss him greatly. May perpetual light shine upon you. Thank you for your friendship.

Dr. August Accetta
***************

I met him on various occasions and also in Italy, and he was very kind with me, teaching me many arguments on the holy Shroud. In 2000 he gave me freely the first digital microscope of my lab and pushed me on the study of the body image as the light of the Resurrection. I would like to express my deepest condolences for his passing but I am sure that his soul is now illuminated by this Light.

Giulio Fanti
***************

I would like to express my deepest condolences for the passing of Kevin Moran.

Traudl Wally
***************

Kevin was an active worldwide sindonologist, a smart participant in most of our Symposia. I would like to present my sincere condolences to his family and his numerous shroudies ... Rest In Peace, dear Kevin. Keep us alive here, as you were so brilliantly...

Marcel Alonso
***************

[Editor's Note: A letter written and mailed directly to Kevin's family is reprinted here with Russ' permission]: To the Moran family and friends, I wish to express my deepest sympathy for you during this time of grief. I hold Kevin in greatest respect and have great love for him as a friend and a mentor. I met Kevin in the early 1980's through Father Kim Dreisbach, another lifelong Shroud researcher. I have fond memories of meeting Kevin and Ann at their house or at conferences around the world. I will never forget touring the Charlotte Motor Speedway with him and hear him talk about cars just like he was a kid again. Kevin will be missed by all yet we all know where he is and rejoice that we will see him again along with Ann fully restored, beaming with vitality and youth, free of the earthly shackles of an aging body. This is the promise of the resurrection and the message of the Shroud. I regret that I will not be able to make the visitation or the funeral. I am however making a donation in Kevin's memory to the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc. (STERA) directed by Barrie Schwortz. I know this is exactly what Kevin would have me do. Love and peace to you all.

Russ Breault
***************

A Note in Thanksgiving for the Life of Kevin Moran - During the last several years, I have been fortunate to meet Shroud Researchers in Europe and the US, and one of the Shroud Researchers was Kevin Moran. He introduced me to the VP-8 Image Analyzer and the unique capability of showing the "apparent 3D appearance" of the Shroud on the display monitor. Kevin patiently answered questions and equipped me to continue on with the study of the Shroud using the VP-8 Image Analyzer. I prepared videos of Kevin using the VP-8 Image Analyzer, and presented his work demonstrating the results using the VP-8 Image Analyzer. The videos I prepared were presented at the 2017 International Shroud Conference in Pasco Washington, and recently in Baltimore, at the 2019 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

It is certain that many Shroud Researchers across the US and Europe will miss the friendship of Kevin Moran. One comment consistently heard is that Kevin was a most gracious friend to all, and there is a special respect for him. I am honored to know Kevin and his seven children, and I am pleased that he also welcomed me as a friend. May God Bless his work and his family.

Janis Winchester
***************

Richard (Orareo) told me that Kevin Moran recently died. I am sorry for his loss but I know that he is home with Our Crucified and Risen Saviour now in heaven. I will love him forever. What a wonderful man he truly was. May he rest in peace in the abiding hope of Our Lord's resurrection.

Francis Joseph Paul DeStefano
***************

In Memoriam

     Raymond Schneider

I must also sadly report the passing of our good friend Raymond J. Schneider, respected Shroud scholar, educator and for the past year, member of the STERA, Inc. Board of Directors, at his home in Woodstock, Virginia, on January 28, 2019. The last time I saw Ray was in March 2018, when he and his wife attended one of my presentations in Charles Town, West Virginia. Last year, when I asked Ray to accept a position on our board, he informed me of his health problems but was willing to participate to the best of his abilities. I was grateful that he accepted as his input was always valuable. Ray was also an active member of the online Shroud Science Group (SSG) and his contributions were always thoughtful and articulate. When the news broke, many of the members expressed their condolences and we are including them here. Our sincerest sympathies and condolences to Ray's family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace Ray.

Barrie Schwortz
***************

Very sad news indeed; I for one will miss Ray's wise voice greatly...

Tony Fleming
***************

Hail and farewell, Ray! You were a giant in Shroud Science - and many other fields as well. I'm grateful also for your kind words in St. Louis. We need more minds and hearts like yours. Sail in peace.

John Loken
***************

I knew, I admired and spent hours at Shroud arguments with Ray. I would like to express my deepest condolences for his passing. May he rest in peace!

[Editor's Note: Giulio asked if I could add the following statement written by Ray on the SSG some years ago about the TS]: "... the enduring character is the mystery, whether authentic or inauthentic the mystery remains. If it is actually Jesus and Jesus is God, then a miraculous account cannot be ruled out. If it is representative of Jesus, but made in some way, then the mystery is not removed, in fact I think it is deepened because then a miraculous account ... is ruled out, and then we have an unheralded genius who created the most convincing image of Jesus... I think that it is a deeper mystery and harder to explain than authenticity."

Giulio Fanti
***************

I join in condolences for Ray's death. I have greatly esteemed his person and his studies. Ray, have peace.

Giovanna De Liso
***************

Sad news indeed. My condolences to his family and to his many friends on this site.

Giorgio Bracaglia
***************

I for one am particularly saddened to hear of Ray's death. He was the only member of the SSG that I have met personally and so I have always had a special feeling towards him. We met some years ago when I visited Washington DC to attend a business conference. I was struck by his kindness, his knowledge and his wisdom. My deepest sympathies to his family, his friends and to all members of SSG and the STERA Board of Directors. Requiescat in pace.

Mark Oxley
***************

I was not fortunate enough to have known or even met Ray, but it is obvious that he was a great guy and a superb Shroud scholar.

John Donahue
***************

I would like to tell our SSG community that Raymond was also, like Chesterton, his mentor, a master of mind (in french: un maître à penser). He put such a wisdom at the service of an acute and demanding knowhow of physicist and mathematician. He was a wise guide for interpretations, at the first and second degrees, of many classes of observations made over the ages. Although he often commented with insight on the particular roles played by physics, such as light or molecular diffusion, capillary continuity of colors, etc. His deep intuition led him, however, to remain on the threshold of the Mystery, beside the majesty of this image he thought an authentic imprint of Christ... Now, he knows Its secret, and he can contemplate It during eternity... Requiescat in Pace.

Marcel Alonso
***************

Very, very sad news, Barrie. Ray Schneider was one of the most active members of the scientific committee of the workshop IWSAI. His help was important for us, including very high-level refereeing works of several manuscripts submitted for publication in the Proceedings volume. More recently, we were in contact via Researchgate and I noted he visited my profile reading a paper about ten days before his death. That means his brain was active till the last days. Rest in peace, Ray, I will miss you.

Paolo Di Lazzaro
***************

Yes, very sad news. I did not know personally Ray but I will never forget his meaningful words about the mystery of the Turin Shroud "...the enduring character is the mystery, whether authentic or inauthentic the mystery remains. It it is actually Jesus and Jesus is God, then a miraculous account cannot be ruled out. If it is representative of Jesus, but made in some way, then the mystery is not removed, in fact I think it is deepened because then a miraculous account ... is ruled out, and then we have an unheralded genius who created the most convincing image of Jesus. " Now he knows. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Jean-Pierre Laude
***************
Posted June 10, 2019

A New Name For Turin's International Shroud Center

Link to CISS Website

Throughout most of its long (nearly 60 year) history, the official Shroud study organization in Turin has been known as the Centro Internazionale di Sindonologia (CIS). Among their many responsibilities is the curating and management of the Sindone Museo (Shroud Museum) in Turin. It houses the second largest collection in the world of Shroud historical, scientific, artistic and other related materials, including Secondo Pia's original camera and glass plates. It is a "must see" if you ever visit Turin. In a recent e-mail, Enrico Simonato, Secretary of the organization, wrote:

"Let me also use this opportunity to inform you about the "updated" name (International Study Center on the Shroud) of our Center with the "updated" logo. This change would like to reflect a better focus of our activity (study of the Shroud) avoiding a possible misleading interpretation of the previous word "Sindonologia."

The organization will now be known by its new name, the Centro Internazionale di Studi Sulla Sindone or CISS. It will hold its annual General Meeting in Turin on June 14-15-16, 2019.

Posted June 10, 2019

Order of Engineers Meets in Turin

Nello Balossino at Order of Engineers Meeting

The Council of the Order of Engineers of the Province of Turin, in collaboration with the International Center for Studies on the Shroud (CISS), held their second annual seminar on May 31, 2019. According to Paolo Di Lazzaro, the event, titled The Shroud Between Faith and Science, "was a technical meeting organized by the Order of Engineers in Turin and attendance was reserved for Engineers enrolled in the Order." Around 40 members attended. You can read about it in more detail and see a list of the speakers and some photographs of the event on the Sindone Museum's website in an Italian language article titled, Sindone: dibattito scientifico all’Ordine degli Ingegneri di Torino or in an English translation of the page courtesy of Joe Marino titled, Sindone: scientific debate of the Order of Engineers of Turin. You can also access the Italian language Order of Engineers Seminar Schedule online in PDF format at this link: SEMINARIO - LA SINDONE TRA FEDE E SCIENZA.

Posted June 10, 2019

Update on the Original Holy Face Billboard Project in Ireland

Heuston Station in Dublin
(Click for larger view)

Back in April of this year I heard from our friend Patrick McCrystal, Executive Director for Human Life International Ireland and creator of the Holy Face Billboard Project in Ireland. That project inspired the Holy Shroud Billboard Project in South Carolina and more recently, in Spain, which we reported on in our last update. Patrick's e-mail in April notified us and provided the details of the ambitious 2019 campaign they had planned. This is what he wrote:

"I am pleased to inform you we are about to launch a National Billboard Campaign in Ireland next week on the Holy Face of Jesus. This year - the fourth year - we are sponsoring 50 Billboards, 300 buses, 150 train station posters, 105 public prayer vigils on Good Friday PLUS a global Facebook campaign (which last year had 7 million views in two weeks). We have now 85 Holy Face prayer groups meeting every week/month across Ireland. You can see my interview on Lifesitenews here: Interview with Patrick McCrystal."

In a more recent e-mail at the conclusion of their 2019 campaign, Patrick sent us the following information:

"We had 50 billboards/commuter squares, 300 buses, 150 train posters, 7 mobile truck billboards, 105 public prayer Vigils on Good Friday, 10 million Facebook views across the world, and 70,000 visitors to the website in 2 weeks. It was a great success. Perhaps your readers might be interested." [Editor's note: Patrick was kind enough to send us a copy of their newsletter with permission to reprint it here, so we are including it for your informaton: Ireland Holy Face Campaign 2019. Thanks Patrick!]

Posted June 10, 2019

News From STERA, Inc.

Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc.

First, we want to extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, colleagues and students of Raymond Schneider, respected educator and Shroud scholar who also served as a member of STERA, Inc.'s Board of Directors until his passing on January 28, 2019. Ray was a highly respected researcher whose contributions to Sindonology and our organization were always thoughtful, clearly stated and thorough. I always believed that Ray had a better understanding of the Shroud's image properties than most. He certainly will be missed by all of us that knew him.

Policy Change: For the first fourteen years of this website's history, I personally decided which original papers would be published on Shroud.com. Shortly after STERA, Inc. was founded in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the legal ownership of the website was transferred to the non-profit, I established a new policy and created an Editorial Review Committee so the decision of which original materials we published was made by a group of Shroud scholars. We used that method for a number of years, but it presented us with another problem. Some viewers mistakenly thought our committee was the same as formal peer review. It was not. In fact, one of the biggest problems we encountered was that often, there was no one on our committee of the necessary discipline to properly evaluate a paper. The underlying value of peer review is that the research is evaluated by equally qualified scientists of the same or related disciplines. Since Shroud research covers such a wide range of disciplines and it is impossible for us to properly evaluate all of them, we are changing our policy effective immediately and will no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts for publication on Shroud.com. Instead, we encourage researchers to submit their papers to appropriate peer reviewed journals whenever possible. We would much rather link to an article in a refereed journal than publish it here on Shroud.com. The more credible the journal that publishes your work, the more value your work has to Sindonology in general. We need all the good science we can get.

Barrie Schwortz
President, STERA, Inc.
Posted June 10, 2019

Recently Published Books

Recently Published Books

A number of new Shroud related books were published in recent months. We are listing them here and have also permanently archived them on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the new additions, we have annotated their listings with "(Added 10 June 2019)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.

The Shroud: The Evidence by L.M. Cowley

Here is the online description:

"A brief account of the historical and scientific evidence available in favour of the Shroud of Turin's authenticity."


Kindle Edition: 66 pages
File Size: 5432 KB
Publication Date: 10 May 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07RTNHRYS


The Shroud at Court by Paolo Cozzo, Andrea Merlotti and Andrea Nicolotti

Here is the online description:

"The Shroud at the Court analyses, through various essays characterized by a multidisciplinary and diachronic perspective, the strict ties created between the Shroud and the Savoy court from the fifteenth to twentieth centuries. Presented as proof of the divine legitimacy of Savoy lineage, the Shroud (of which the Savoy dynasty came into possession in 1453, keeping it first in Chambéry and then from 1578 in Turin) was central to their propagandistic strategies. The court - its spaces, protagonists, and rituals - became the natural setting for a relationship reinforced over time through customs, ceremonies, and images intended to celebrate the excellence of the Savoy, both within their own state and in Europe's 'society of princes'."

Hardcover: 390 pages
Publisher: BRILL; Bilingual edition (March 14, 2019)
Language: English, French
ISBN-10: 9004389059
ISBN-13: 978-9004389052

An Unveiling by Judith Klockow

Here is the online description:

"The Shroud of Turin ’s authenticity has been discussed and challenged for countless years. What is mind-blowing, however, is the mystery of its survival and how the image appears and remains on the cloth for centuries. Technological advancements have been the key to unanswered questions. How has this remained under the radar? This is a simple, straightforward explanation of its history and research findings. The amazing conclusion unfolds with accompanying illustrations."

Kindle Edition: 50 pages
File Size: 12774 KB
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07PP8V54L

Sublime Light on the Turin Shroud - The true origin of a controversial medieval relic by Ludo Noens

Here is an excerpt from the online description:

"…Even if we accept that the Turin Shroud indeed is a cloth from the 13th or 14th century, does this answer all the questions raised before the radiocarbon dating? Judging by the countless publications that have appeared in the scientific and the popular press since, nobody seems to have managed so far. This book reveals the true origin of this medieval relic. The so called ‘believers’ recognize in the spectacular image instantly the ‘stamp’ of the Miracle Worker from Galilee, but was it not Jesus himself who denied the unique character of his miracles? Indeed, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do.’ (John 14:12)The Turin Shroud was ‘fabricated’ in the 13th or 14th century. Yet, not by a smart swindler, but by an ‘enlightened’ individual who had ‘ears to hear’ (Mark 4:23)…"

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Aspekt Publishers (February 4, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9463385134
ISBN-13: 978-9463385138

Jesus in a New Light: Including a comprehensive chapter about the Shroud of Turin by Manfred Bauer

Here is an excerpt from the online description:

"...This book also asks the questions: What message does the Shroud kept in Turin Cathedral convey to us? Did Jesus really lie in it? Does the Shroud make it possible for us to see Jesus' face some 2000 years after his death? With forensic meticulousness, the author provides proof that not everything went by the book during the 1988 radiocarbon dating that "exposed" the Shroud as a medieval fake."

Kindle Edition: 572 pages
File Size: 16216 KB
Publication Date: 1 January 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07MRLV8WQ
ISBN: 1985810581
Posted June 10, 2019

Recently Published Papers & Articles

The Blood on the Shroud of Turin: Species Unknown by Kelly Kearse

Since our last update on January 21, 2019, a huge number of new papers and articles have appeared about the Shroud of Turin. In fact, this may be the single largest addition of new papers to this website in our 24 year history! As always, we have tried to include all of them here, but in case we missed any, we will include them in a future update. The papers are listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list. All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Let's get started.

In addition to the more recent papers above, we are also including links to some older papers that were specifically recommended by several of our viewers:

Posted June 10, 2019

Recently Released Videos and Audios

Dr. Gilbert Lavoie Interview on Relevant Radio

Until five or six years ago, the primary video and audio coverage of the Shroud was found in occasional (often negative) television news coverage, particularly around the times of public Shroud exhibitions, and of course, in the rarely satisfying cable television documentaries that proliferated over the past three decades. I admit that there were a few good programs, but most were overly dramatic and left the viewer more confused than informed. I frequently reminded people that these were made primarily as entertainment rather than as actual science or history (in spite of the names of the channels they appeared on). The networks demanded certain types of programs, the production companies obliged and the viewers got a very inaccurate and often distorted view of the Shroud of Turin. Unfortunately, much erroneous or inaccurate Shroud "mythology" was perpetuated as a result. However, in recent years and thanks to the internet, new communication venues have appeared and become accessible to everyone. Now, instead of carefully scripted and edited programs that only reflect the producer's and network's points of view, the public has access to YouTube videos, internet radio programs and podcasts where Shroud scholars can go into far more detail, debate the issues and speak directly to the viewers in a candid, unfiltered and unvarnished manner. We are including links to a number of them in this update and hope you find them interesting. One cautionary note however. There is a lot of really BAD information on the internet about the Shroud, so choose your sources carefully!

Shroud of Turin’s Bloodstains Special: An Interview with Shroud Agnostic Dr. Kelly Kearse on the Skeptics and Seekers Podcast, June 7, 2019. Audio (1:31:19) - From the blog page: "...In his own words, here is what Kelly tells us what to look forward to in today’s interview; “Hi, I’ve listened to several of your podcasts on the Shroud of Turin and enjoyed the episodes. I am neither an authenticist or a skeptic, but believe I could contribute a unique viewpoint to questions related to the bloodstains on the Shroud..."

The Shroud of Turin, Everything You Need to Know! - Interview with Dr. Cheryl White on The Cordial Catholic Podcast, June 5, 2019. Audio (43:26) - Excerpt from the web page: "In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Cheryl White, a historian with 30 years of experience studying the incredible Shroud of Turin – the supposed burial cloth of Jesus!"

Interview with Larry Schauf on Divine Mercy Radio, May 22, 2019. Audio (53:45) - [Editor's Note: Larry is a retired federal prosecutor, a long time Shroud scholar and a member of STERA, Inc.'s Board of Directors].

Shroud Wars Debate 4 - Joe Marino (Pro-Shroud expert) vs. Hugh Farey (Shroud skeptical expert) on the Skeptics and Seekers Podcast, April 28, 2019. Audio (1:52:57) - From the blog page: "Continuing on in our Shroud Wars Debate series, we come to Round 4 whereby, once again, Shroud skeptic Hugh Farey will have to battle it out against a Pro-Shroud expert, this time around we are joined by Joe Marino to discuss 3 major topic areas."

Dr. Gilbert Lavoie Interview on Relevant Radio on the Drew Mariani Show, April 22, 2019. Audio (51:05) - From the program's website: "Do you believe the Shroud of Turin, the cloth that covered the buried Christ, is legitimate? Dr. Gilbert Lavoie was originally a skeptic, but is now convinced. He joins Drew to present the facts."

Shroud Wars Debate 3 - Bob Rucker (Pro-Shroud expert) vs. Hugh Farey (Shroud skeptical expert) on the Skeptics and Seekers Podcast, April 20, 2019. Audio (2:31:46) - From the blog page: "Alright, well welcome back to the Shroud Wars debates series, after a 4-month hiatus its finally time to continue on the important discussion on the evidence from the Shroud of Turin. In this show we have two Shroud heavyweights (Bob Rucker and Hugh Farey) facing off against each other to address 2 main topics selected by each of the guests accordingly."

Barrie Schwortz on the Bauerle and Bellavia Radio Show - Hour 1 on WBEN in Buffalo, New York, April 19, 2019, Good Friday. Audio (34:34) - Bauerle and Bellavia Radio Show - Hour 2 Audio (0 - 17:05) [Editor's Note: Aside from a few technical glitches at the beginning of the program, this was a very interesting interview. You will hear at the end of part 2 that I complimented co-host David Bellavia on his extraordinary military service. Lo and behold, this past week it was announced that David had just been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. Our deepest gratitude to David for his dedicated service to our country and our sincerest congratulations to him and his family on his well deserved award].

Presentation by Barrie Schwortz at the Christ Cathedral Cultural Center sponsored by the Archdiocese of Orange and the Shroud Center of Southern California, April 13, 2019. Video (1:26:57) - From the Archdiocese of Orange Facebook page: "International Shroud of Turin expert & official photographer - Barrie Schwortz along with Shroud expert and host of EWTN's Spitzer's Universe - Fr. Robert Spitzer giving a presentation at the Catherdral Cultural Center on the campus of Christ Cathedral." [Editor's Note: Fr. Spitzer did not make a presentation but instead participated in the panel discussion that took place after my presentation. Unfortunately, they did not record that part of the program, which also included the participation of Dr. August Accetta, founder of the Shroud Center of Southern California].

Barrie Schwortz on the "Dr. J Live" Radio Show - United Public Radio, February 4, 2019. Audio (1:47:48) - "The mysteries of the Shroud of Turin"

Posted June 10, 2019
Updated June 12, 2019

The Shroud on the Internet

Image Analyzers Provide Insight Into Shroud of Turin - KRQE News 13 Albuquerque

With the vast proliferation of Shroud websites, blogs and articles on the internet, it is always difficult to decide which links to include here. We try to avoid those that make overly dramatic claims, are filled with speculation, have no real scientific value or that mainly reflect the personal opinions of their authors (there are lots of them)! We do our best to link only to interesting, relevant and credible content, but you have to remember that we are dealing with probably the most controversial single object on the planet, where science and faith meet face to face, so it is not always as easy as it sounds. In fact, some of the links included here today are to very skeptical articles that some may find distasteful, but we try to present both sides whenever possible. Remaining neutral isn't easy, so if there is a website or article we missed that you feel should be included, send us the link and we will consider it for a future update.

Posted June 10, 2019

Our Next Update

Our next update will occur sometime in the Fall, probably in October, since I will still be traveling and lecturing in August and September. I don't expect the next update will be as large as this one, but we still have to report on both the upcoming Shroud Conference in Ancaster, Canada and the Jalsa Salana event sponsored by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in England, so there will be plenty to write about. Of course, it will also include the latest papers, books, articles, podcasts, videos and any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since we now try and update it every week or so to keep you informed between our regular website updates. You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or any important Shroud news breaks. We hope you find this update interesting and useful and look forward to seeing you in the Fall! Thank you all again for being there! It is deeply appreciated.

Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.

Posted June 10, 2019

23rd Anniversary Update! January 21, 2019

 Rare Shroud report now available!

Happy New Year! Today, January 21, 2019, marks our 23rd anniversary on the internet and, as usual, our Anniversary Update is a huge one! Today's update leads off with the publication of a rare Shroud report by the late Dr. Eugenia Nitowski and the completion of the 118 issue archive of Rex Morgan's Shroud News. This update is also very international in nature, as it marks the beginning of our archiving the CMS SINDONE Boletin, the journal of the Centro Mexicano de Sindonologia and the first Spanish language journal archived here on Shroud.com. In keeping with the international theme, we also are including a new article in Portuguese and several other translations in Dutch, Spanish and Russian. This update also includes news of the expansion of the Shroud Billboard Project, both here in the U.S. and now in Spain. It also includes memorials for a number of Shroud scholars who passed in recent months. In addition, it includes many new papers and articles, new links to Shroud information on the internet, some new books and DVD's and much more. We hope you find this information useful and interesting. Enjoy!

Here is the Update Table of Contents:

Environmental Study of the Shroud in Jerusalem by Dr. Eugenia Nitowski Now Available

Environmental Study of the Shroud in Jerusalem
Field and Laboratory Report
by Dr. Eugenia Nitowski

In 2015, I started working with the late Paul Maloney on three important projects. The first was the archiving of the Eugenia Nitowski materials that she had sent him that included 518 35mm photomicroscopy slides (taken by Dr. Nitowski and her colleague, Dr. Joseph Kohlbeck) and the compilation and digitization of her extremely important Environmental Study of the Shroud in Jerusalem Field and Laboratory Report. As far as I can tell, Dr. Nitowski never submitted this important work for publication but only made printed, hand bound copies available, in many cases with photographic prints pasted directly onto the pages, and distributed them individually to certain Shroud scholars. Fortunately, archaeologist William Meacham (a member of the STERA, Inc. Board), who had received one of the copies from Dr. Nitowski, was kind enough to scan his copy and send it to me so I could compile it into the pdf document we are including here today and make it part of the Nitowski archive. When I brought this up at the recent STERA, Inc. Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted unanimously to include it on Shroud.com. The paper has also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). I had also completed the scanning and digitizing of the Nitowski 35mm slides but Paul died before I could send him the archive. We intend to make the entire Nitowski archive (photomicroscopy and documents) available to qualified researchers at some point in the future.

As I noted in our October 8, 2018 update, the second project I was working on with Paul was his creation of an accurate map of the locations on the Shroud where Max Frei took his tape samples during the 1978 STURP scientific examination. Working primarily from Max's notes and the photodocumentation images I made in 1978 of Frei's sample taking, Paul completed the map and sent it to me on the day he passed away. With his family's permission, we published it in our last update. That paper was titled, The Max Frei 1978 Sticky Tape Locations, Data Foundation and Accompanying Critical-Analytical Commentary and marked his final contribution to Sindonology.

The third project I was working on with Paul was by far the largest and most extensive. On July 15, 1988, Dr. Max Frei's entire collection of twenty-eight sticky-tape Shroud samples was formally handed over to the American Shroud group ASSIST, headed by Paul Maloney. In the ensuing years that the samples were in his possession, Paul spent considerable time examining the tapes under his microscope and making over 5000 35mm photomicroscopy slides of the tapes. Paul was in the process of going through the many binders of 35mm slides and annotating them when he passed away. Our plan was for me to start digitizing those that he had annotated one binder at a time until we completed his entire collection. Sadly, I have no idea how far into the task he had gotten at the time of his death. I am in contact with the Maloney family and we will start formulating a concrete plan to continue the work in the near future. I will keep you updated on our progress.

Posted January 21, 2019

Rex Morgan's Shroud News Archive Completed!

Shroud News

With this update we add the last eight issues to Rex Morgan's Shroud News archive, which is now complete and totals 118 issues! On Christmas Eve I received an e-mail from Stephen Jones with "A Christmas present for Rex!" in the subject line. On that date Stephen finished the final issue of Shroud News and completed the extraordinary task of scanning and optical character recognition of every page of every issue over the past four years. Here is what he said:

"Attached is my scanned and proof-read Word document and photos of the cover and page 4 of Shroud News issue #118 [last!], December 2001.

"I am especially pleased that my posting of this last issue of SN coincided with Christmas Eve, so it can be a Christmas present for Rex. My first email attaching SN #1 of September 1980 was on 4 April 2015. Since then I have, almost every morning, of almost every week, scanned and word-processed a double page of SN. Having completed 118 issues, I still am in awe of Rex who actually planned, physically typed, photoset, and distributed internationally, each of those 118 issues of SN, over a span of 21 years! I told Rex yesterday in an email that I was glad that he will be able to know the `immortalisation' of his life work (as he once called it). Again, wishing you and yours a happy and safe Christmas!"

I fully agree with Stephen's sentiments and am truly honored to have helped to preserve such an important Shroud resource. If you haven't yet read through the archive, I strongly urge you to do so. It is an amazing historical overview of Shroud research and scholarship over two decades and told in expert style by Rex Morgan. I personally consider Issue #118, the final issue of Shroud News, as one of the most important, because it contains the full transcript of Rex's amazing Keynote Address at the 2001 Dallas International Shroud Conference. I was fortunate to be there in the room when Rex delivered that speech and watched the audience sit in amazement and admiration. In the end, it earned him a well deserved and minutes long standing ovation. If Shroud News had to come to an end, then this was the perfect topic for its final issue. Thank you Rex for your incredible contributions to Sindonology. Your legacy is truly secure my friend.

Posted January 21, 2019

Introducing the CMS SINDONE Boletin - The first Spanish language journal on Shroud.com

CMS SINDONE Boletin (En Español)

I was contacted more than a year ago by our good friend in Mexico City, Dr. Julius López Morales, one of the founders of the Centro Mexicano de Sindonologia (CMS), the major Shroud research organization in Mexico. He asked if we would be interested in archiving the CMS SINDONE Boletin, their printed journal published between June 1983 and December 2007. He pointed out that the journal was only available in the Spanish language and I immediately agreed to include it here on Shroud.com (as soon as we completed the Shroud News archive). So we are very proud to introduce a new page on Shroud.com, CMS SINDONE Boletin (En Español), with the first 32 issues of the journal, which will include all 80 printed issues once completed.

Since this website first went online, our Spanish speaking visitors had to use online translation services to read the English language articles on the site. Today, with the introduction of the CMS SINDONE Boletin, just the opposite is true. Now our English speaking visitors will need to use an online translation service to read this journal. As they say, turnabout is fair play. To make this feasible, I took the scanned issues provided to us by Julio and ran them through our OCR (optical character recognition) software, so the pages are now readable as text rather than images. That means that each document can be searched using the search feature in the pdf reader software (Ctrl - F). Julius has also kindly provided an introduction in both English and Spanish, a Table of Contents for some of the issues and an Index for all of the issues, which we have included as well. Our sincere thanks to Julius and his son Julio for their efforts in preserving this important Shroud resource and allowing us to archive it here. Muchas gracias mi amigos!

Posted January 21, 2019

BSTS Newsletter Winter 2018-19 Issue Now Available

Link to BSTS Newsletter Website

David Rolfe, editor of the BSTS Newsletter reports that the latest Winter 2018-19 Issue No. 88 is now available to subscribers online. If you haven't already subscribed, you can take out or renew your subscription at this link: www.bstsnewsletter.com. At this point in time, subscriptions are still available for either print or digital editions, but that could change and become digital only, depending on the number of print subscribers. Postal costs are very high these days, particularly for international mail. Each new edition will continue to be archived here on Shroud.com at some point in the future so that the whole collection of issues going back over 37 years can be readily searched online via our British Society for the Turin Shroud page.

This latest edition includes an article by Ian Wilson titled, "New Facts and a New Historical Theory," three scientific paper reviews by Hugh Farey, an article titled, "Further Shroud Relics in Prague?" by Hugh Duncan, an article titled, "A Compelling Case for Authenticity" from Justin Robinson, an extensive article from César Barta, Pedro Sabe and José Manuel Orenga titled, "The Beirut Icon and the Shroud" and a BSTS Speaker Profile of Brenda Benton. I highly recommend subscribing to the BSTS Newsletter, as it is probably the last English language journal still published in the Shroud world.

Posted January 21, 2019

In Memoriam

     Phillip Wiebe

It is my sad duty to report the passing of our dear friend Dr. Phillip Wiebe, peacefully on Friday night, October 26, 2018 in Langley, BC, Canada, after a courageous battle with cancer. He taught in Canadian universities for 46 years, including over 40 years at Trinity Western University, and the Shroud of Turin was of special personal and academic interest to him. I knew him as a fellow Board Member of the Vancouver Shroud Association (VSA) and as a brilliant scholar and lecturer and dedicated student of the Shroud, who shared the stage with me on numerous occasions while we lectured around the VSA's Man of the Shroud Exhibit at various parishes in Canada. Although he struggled with health issues over the years, they rarely slowed him down, and for several years he actually lectured from his wheel chair. He truly will be missed by all who knew him, including the many students he influenced in his life. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace my friend.

Barrie Schwortz

***************

The following was received from Carolyn Wharton, Exhibit Director of the Vancouver Shroud Association:

Dr. Phillip Wiebe was one of the founding members of the VSA and before beginning the Vancouver Shroud Association, I was privileged to hear him speak on the subject of the Shroud of Turin at TWU - a first introduction for me about 20 years ago. Phillip's knowledge of the Shroud and his enthusiasm for this subject drew the attention of others as well, and in time our Society was formed with the commencement of building our own Vancouver exhibition becoming a reality in 2004.

What I appreciated most about Phillip Wiebe, was his respect, sensitivity and patience shown towards others and seeing the immense impact that this unique cloth had on his life. Every opportunity to educate others about the Shroud of Turin was an exciting opportunity for Professor Wiebe. Phillip referred to himself as a Shroud "generalist" and Q & A's were opportunities for lively conversation following his talks. If you were one of the lucky ones to be in attendance when Dr. Wiebe felt inspired to share his journey from a disbeliever to a practising Christian through the aid of the Shroud of Turin, it was simply unforgettable. It was a story of how a confident academic was humbled through the discovery of God's personal love through this miraculous burial cloth, and whenever he spoke of this there were many adults that were moved to tears.

Continuing the work of the Vancouver Shroud Association without the guidance and assistance of this exceptional man will be challenging, but having personally witnessed Phillip's enthusiasm and commitment to this work remains a special source of motivation for me as we enter into our 15th year of Man of the Shroud exhibitions in Canada, and especially as we begin our first year of accepting hosting opportunities in the U.S. The sharing of factual information on this greatest of all mysteries must continue to reach individuals in as many communities as possible. Phillip Wiebe is irreplaceable to our Society and he will be dearly missed. His immense contributions to our special exhibit will never be forgotten.

Carolyn Wharton
Vancouver Shroud Association

***************

In Memoriam

     John C. Klotz

I must also sadly report the passing of my good friend and long time Shroud researcher, John Klotz, on November 9, 2018, after a brave struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was a frequent contributor to Dan Porter's Shroud of Turin blog and the author of "The Coming of the Quantum Christ," which dealt with the Shroud and beyond. He was actually working on his next book when the illness overtook him. I was fortunate to meet and spend some time with John and his wife Rene on several occasions while lecturing in New York and we spent many long hours on the phone in conversations that always started with the Shroud but often ended up on other topics. His background as an attorney was quite amazing so I am including a link to John's Obituary, John C. Klotz: A primal force for justice, written lovingly by his son Dan. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace John. I will truly miss our long talks.

Barrie Schwortz

***************

In Memoriam

     Yannick Clément

Finally, I must sadly report the untimely passing of my good friend and ardent Shroud scholar, Yannick Clément, 45, of Louiseville, Quebec, Canada, on October 30, 2018. He was probably best known to those who followed his numerous postings on Dan Porter's Shroud of Turin blog page, but he also wrote or co-authored several serious Shroud papers, a number of which are available here on Shroud.com. Although we never met in person, we became friends during our many long phone conversations and e-mail exchanges over the years. We extend our sincerest and deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace Yannick.

Barrie Schwortz

Posted January 21, 2019

Update on the Holy Face Billboard Project in South Carolina

Link to New Holy Face Billboard Project Website

As we reported in our October 2018 website update, the folks in South Carolina have established The Holy Face Project Fund in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so they can raise funds for additional billboards. Today's is just a short update to let you know that their new Holy Face Project website is now available online. It is great to see that their organization is growing and making real progress. Speaking of growing and making progress, have a look at the next article below.

Posted January 21, 2019

The New Billboard Project in Spain

The New Billboard Project in Spain
(Click for larger view)

In November 2018 I received an e-mail from David Collado, who lives in a village near Madrid, Spain. David had read about the Shroud Billboard Projects both in Ireland and South Carolina, and was interested in doing something similar (in a modest way) in the area where he lives. We were happy to provide David with the same image used by the South Carolina group and worked with his professional billboard company to insure that the best results were achieved. Ultimately, this resulted in one billboard location in Collado Villalba and two billboard locations in Torrelodones. Even more exciting, the billboards were all in place on Christmas Eve! David graciously sent us the Google Maps locations of the billboards, so we are including them below. He also sent us some photographs we are including that you can click on for larger views. Congratulations David for getting this accomplished so quickly! We are very happy to see this idea spreading and expect that other locations will start to appear in the future. Here are the Google Map locations in Madrid:

Posted January 21, 2019

2019 International Shroud Conference Update

2019 International Shroud Conference Update
(Link to Conference page on Shroud.com)

Last June we announced that our good friend Dr. Gary Chiang of Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, was organizing an international Shroud conference titled, "Science : Theology and the Turin Shroud" to take place on August 14-17, 2019 at his university. At the time, he was still in the planning stages but has made considerable progress since then. There is now an official Conference Website that provides all the details (see above link) and he is now calling for abstracts for proposed papers or posters. Here is the latest from Gary:

I would like to announce the 2019 International Conference on the Shroud of Turin entitled, "Science, Theology and the Turin Shroud" and call for abstracts for oral or poster presentations to be made at the conference. This conference will take place on Wednesday, August 14 to Saturday, August 17, 2019, at Redeemer University, 777 Garner Rd E, in Ancaster, ON, Canada. For details on abstract format, submission, and conference registration, please visit the conference website at: http://custance.org/conference. This conference is being organized by Dr. Gary Chiang, Professor (emeritus) of Biology at Redeemer University and the author of "The Holy Shroud of Turin: a genuine artifact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

I have spoken to a number of Shroud scholars who plan to attend the conference and they are already working on their papers. I will be there and giving a presentation on the STURP Team and their 1978 research, so I hope to see some of you there.

Posted January 21, 2019

New Translations Added

New Translations Added

We have always tried to include different language translations of pages, articles or papers whenever they were available. In recent months, a number of people have contacted us and freely offered their services to translate certain articles or pages on the site. We are grateful for their contributions and are including below links to the original articles as well as the new translations. For your information, the above flags are from (l to r) Russia, Spain and the Netherlands and represent the new translations in today's update. Thank you all for your participation!

Posted January 21, 2019

Recently Published Books

Recently Published Books

Several new Shroud related books were published in recent months. We are listing them here and have also permanently archived them on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the new additions, we have annotated their listings with "(Added 21 January 2019)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles.

Shroud of Turin: Uncovering the Paradox within the Archives of the Holy Shroud Guild by Giorgio D. Bracaglia

An in depth look at the important archives of the organization that first promoted the Shroud in the U.S. Here is an excerpt from Giorgio's description:

"With over 35 thousand documents to archive, this project lasted more than three years to complete. I have spent more than ten years of research that now includes digital scans, document organization, and interviews, which have made it possible to share the working inside of the Holy Shroud Guild. The preservation of these archives is extremely important. Their purpose serves as a time capsule, now liberated, providing over 60 years of historical Shroud studies from original correspondence associated with the Guild. This book reflects many different periods that significantly influenced five generations of Sindonologist studies..."


Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: Giorgio D. Bracaglia (January 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-43286-1

The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Medical Doctor Examines the Death and Resurrection of Christ by Joseph W. Bergeron, M.D.

The book has several chapters that mention the Shroud. Here is an excerpt from the Amazon description:

"This ground-breaking work offers a unique apologetical argument for the validity of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' death and resurrection. Dr. Bergeron's medical expertise allows him to examine the medical aspects of Jesus' death as well as the "hallucination hypothesis" which attempts to discount Jesus' resurrection."



Hardcover: 282 pages
Publisher: St. Polycarp Publishing House (October 17, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1947707175
ISBN-13: 978-1947707177

Linceul de Turin: de l'analyse historique à l'investigation scientifique T.1 : Face à l'histoire by Jacques Suaudeau (French language)

English translation of the title: "Shroud of Turin: From Historical Analysis to Scientific Investigation" Vol. 1: Facing History. Here is a translated excerpt from the Amazon.fr description:

"The 'Shroud of Turin' is a long rectangular band that has on one of its faces the indelible imprint of the body of a young adult who was tortured by flogging followed by crucifixion. These marks, in a surprisingly precise manner, evoke all that the Gospels tell us about the Passion and death of Christ. It raises admiration and veneration in some, in others the interrogation, or sometimes even the refusal. This first volume presents what can be reconstructed from the history of this fabric, from the documents available today."


Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Editions L'Harmattan (24 July 2018)
Language: French
ISBN-10: 2343134812
ISBN-13: 978-2343134819

Linceul de Turin: de l'analyse historique à l'investigation scientifique T2 : Face à l'investigation scientifique by Jacques Suaudeau (French language)

English translation of the title: "Shroud of Turin: From Historical Analysis to Scientific Investigation" Vol. 2: Faced With Scientific Investigation. Here is a translated excerpt from the Amazon.fr description:

"Until recently, our knowledge of the shroud and its image was limited to what it was possible to see from this image in the light of day. The first photographs (1898) revealed the curious nature of the image carried by the fabric, from 1978, the scientific explorations carried out on the shroud brought a harvest of data which allow today to have a more precise idea of this image, its origin and its time. This canvas, unique in its kind, yet remains an enigma. It offers a fascinating icon of the dead, majestic and powerful Christ, who invites us to hope."

Paperback: 346 pages
Publisher: Editions L'Harmattan (25 July 2018)
Language: French
ISBN-10: 2343134820
ISBN-13: 978-2343134826

Posted January 21, 2019

Recently Published Papers & Articles

Centro Português de Sindonologia Website Feature Article (in Portuguese)

O ADN do Sudário de Turim - ADN de Jesus? - Reavaliação dos estudos de ADN do Sudário de Turim e do Pano de Oviedo - In Portuguese - (The DNA of the Shroud of Turin - DNA of Jesus? - A review of the Shroud of Turin and Oviedo Cloth's DNA studies) is a recent article by our friend Antero de Frias Moreira, Physician and Specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Executive Member of the Portuguese Center for Sindonology. Antero wrote this article in response to the 2017 History Channel documentary titled, "The Jesus Strand: A Search for DNA." (You can read what we said about that program in an article titled, "The Broken Strand."). I sent that link to Antero and he replied, "I read it and my opinion is quite similar to yours and my paper also deals with the speculations of that documentary." We are very happy to include this article for our Portuguese speaking viewers. English speakers can use an online translation service to read the article.

Of course, several other papers have been published recently and we are including them as well. All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author).

Posted January 21, 2019

Recently Released Videos and Audios

Link to John Iannone's Shroud Image Website

The only new Shroud related DVD we are aware of is this two disc set titled, The Mystery of the Shroud of Turin by noted Shroud scholar, author and lecturer, John C. Iannone. John's presentations were filmed live at the Fullness of Truth Conference in Lafayette, Louisiana on May 4-5, 2018. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of seeing John's presentations in person on several occasions and have always found them to be honest, accurate and very informative. I plan to sit down and watch both discs as soon as I finish this update! If you are interested in obtaining the DVD's or want to know more about John, his books, his blog and his other Shroud work, visit his Shroud Image website at the above links.

Remnant Call Radio - Shroud of Turin "Shocking Evidence is a radio program hosted by Frank Cox that I participated in on March 8, 2018. I had planned to include a link to it in one of our subsequent updates, but for some reason that never happened, so I am including it today. It can also be accessed via the Remnant Call Facebook page. I think the program was one of the better ones I have participated in, although Frank was somewhat hyperbolic and overly generous in his introduction, as you will see. Here is an excerpt: "The Shroud of Turin is not just some piece of medieval forgery, but an unbelievable piece of history pointing to the Truth of Jesus of Nazareth. Join with world leading expert on the Shroud of Turin, Barrie Schwortz. The scientific evidence will blow you away!!!"

Posted January 21, 2019

The Shroud on the Internet

Link to Fares Melki's Arabic Language Shroud Website

With the vast proliferation of websites, blogs and videos on the internet, it is always difficult to decide which links to include here. We try to avoid those that make overly dramatic claims, are filled with speculation, have no real scientific value and mainly reflect the personal opinions of their authors (there are lots of them)! We do our best to link only to interesting, relevant and credible content, but we have to remember that we are dealing with probably the most controversial single object on the planet, so it is not always as easy as it sounds.

Posted January 21, 2019

1,538,824 Visits in 2018!

1,538,824 Visits in 2018! (Click to see details)

During the course of the year, we typically do not pay much attention to our website traffic statistics since we allow no advertising on this website (advertising revenues earned by websites are based directly on web traffic). Still, although we do not focus on the numbers and these statistics are not critical to our operations or revenue streams, they are interesting to look at from time to time, so we publish them once a year in our January Anniversary Update.

2018 was another excellent year for Shroud.com web traffic, surpassing our 2017 total by more than 112,000 visits and setting another record high for visits in a year when the Shroud was NOT on public display! Of course, when the Shroud is on public display it garners considerable media attention, which drives lots of extra traffic to our site. In 2018 we averaged more than 4200 visits per day or over 128,000 visits per month. Our visitors generated nearly 26 million hits, viewed over 11 million files and 5.1 million pages and generated over 793 GB of bandwidth! You can see the details for yourself by clicking on the above graphic. We thank you, our loyal viewers, for your continued participation and support!

Posted January 21, 2019

2019 Lecture Schedule

Speaking at the 1st Christian Church in Kokomo, Indiana - August 29, 2018
© 2018 Terry Munson (Click for larger view)

I am including my upcoming 2019 lecture schedule in case I happen to be in your area. If so, please drop by and say hello. You might notice that this year's schedule is considerably smaller than last year's as I'm trying to spend less time "on the road." Of course, as of this writing the schedule is by no means complete. There are still several additonal lectures being considered so the schedule will inevitably grow. Also, many of the times and venues are still not finalized and subject to change. I will do my best to update them prior to the events.

Posted January 21, 2019
Updated February 19, 2019

Our Next Update

At this moment in time, I don't have an exact date for the next update, but I do know it will occur sometime in the Spring. My travel and lecture schedule is rather easy this year, so I should have more time available for updating the site. I do know for sure that it will include more issues of the CMS SINDONE Boletin, the latest papers, books, articles and videos and of course, any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since we now try and update it every week or so to keep you informed between our regular quarterly website updates. You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or any important Shroud news breaks. We hope you find this update interesting and useful and look forward to seeing you in the Spring! Thank you all again for being there! It is deeply appreciated.

Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.

Posted January 21, 2019

Archived Website News pages: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996


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