By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
On April 20-21, The Highlands School in Irving will host an international traveling exhibition: “Who is the Man of the Shroud?” The exhibition is set to explore the historical, scientific, and theological details of one of the most studied artifacts in history: the Shroud of Turin.
The shroud exhibition, developed by Pam McCue, has made its way across the United States, including a stop at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last year, where it attracted long lines of viewers. Anticipating the exhibition’s arrival in the Diocese of Dallas, Father Jared Loehr, head chaplain at The Highlands School, expressed excitement about its potential to connect Dallas-area Catholics to Christ’s pascal mystery in a unique way.
“For me, it’s like the image of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection — the whole paschal mystery in one snapshot,” the priest said. “You can see the evidence on the shroud of what this person would have suffered.”
Father Loehr explained that the “Who is the Man of the Shroud?” exhibition will include a large replica of the Shroud of Turin, as well as replicas of the instruments used in the passion of the Lord and several educational panels offering a wide swath of information about the Shroud of Turin.
“Each panel has its own kind of discipline,” Father Loehr said. “It has a panel on the history; panel on the botany… It’s everything from physics to dark matter.”
Thanks to a grandparent from The Highlands School, the exhibition will also include educational panels in Spanish, so that more members of the local community can experience the display. Father Loehr added that docents will be available to lead tours of the exhibition and answer questions.
On the second day of the exhibition, Father Andrew Dalton is scheduled to offer a presentation on the Shroud of Turin. A priest with the Legionaries of Christ, Father Dalton is a professor of theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, where he teaches the Synoptic Gospels, Biblical Greek, and Hebrew. He is renowned for his expertise on the Shroud of Turin and often blends scientific observation with theological interpretation in his discussions of the holy artifact.
“He talks about everything from the science to the theology to the faith to the personal impact,” Father Loehr said of Father Dalton. “His knowledge and insight into this topic are truly remarkable.”
The exhibition will be on display at The Highland School’s John Paul II Fieldhouse on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and April 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. respectively. Father Dalton’s presentation will take place on April 21 at 7 p.m. The exhibition is free to attend but registration is encouraged.
“I am confident,” Father Loehr said, “that it will be a moving experience for all who attend.”
