Visit by Parishioners to Turin to see the Shroud

At about 5am on Wednesday 19th May five parishioners, (Damien, Jimmy, Peter, Margaret and myself Michael), accompanied by Fr. Tom Kennedy, set off to Dublin Airport on the start of their pilgrimage, via Milan, to Turin to venerate the Shroud.   Our booking was for 8.15 on the Thursday morning.

Because of the rapport between the Irish and the Italians we were allowed visit the cathedral and venerate the Shroud on the Wednesday evening of our arrival in Turin.   For the viewing the cathedral was in almost total darkness and everything is focused on the display case containing the Shroud.  It has to be said that the image of the crucified man in the famous black and white negative of the photograph taken in 1898 by the lawyer and amateur photographer, Secondo Pia, is much clearer than in its natural sepia colour on the cloth as exhibited.

The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways.  As a consequence of having been able to venerate the Shroud on the Wednesday evening Fr. Tom expressed the desire to attend Mass in the cathedral. We established that there would be one Mass at 7am the following morning and we resolved to attend this even though it involved getting up at 6am (5am Irish time!).  Again because of the natural rapport between the Irish and the Italians it was possible to arrange that Fr. Tom concelebrate the Mass with about 40 other priests.  On this occasion we had a wonderful and unique liturgical context for our second veneration and the memory of the Mass concelebrated by Fr. Tom before the Shroud will live with us forever.

At about 5am on Wednesday 19th May five parishioners, (Damien, Jimmy, Peter, Margaret and myself Michael), accompanied by Fr. Tom Kennedy, set off to Dublin Airport on the start of their pilgrimage, via Milan, to Turin to venerate the Shroud.   Our booking was for 8.15 on the Thursday morning.

Because of the rapport between the Irish and the Italians we were allowed visit the cathedral and venerate the Shroud on the Wednesday evening of our arrival in Turin.   For the viewing the cathedral was in almost total darkness and everything is focused on the display case containing the Shroud.  It has to be said that the image of the crucified man in the famous black and white negative of the photograph taken in 1898 by the lawyer and amateur photographer, Secondo Pia, is much clearer than in its natural sepia colour on the cloth as exhibited.

The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways.  As a consequence of having been able to venerate the Shroud on the Wednesday evening Fr. Tom expressed the desire to attend Mass in the cathedral. We established that there would be one Mass at 7am the following morning and we resolved to attend this even though it involved getting up at 6am (5am Irish time!).  Again because of the natural rapport between the Irish and the Italians it was possible to arrange that Fr. Tom concelebrate the Mass with about 40 other priests.  On this occasion we had a wonderful and unique liturgical context for our second veneration and the memory of the Mass concelebrated by Fr. Tom before the Shroud will live with us forever.