Replica Turin Shroud Exhibition at Oakenrod

People of all faiths (and none) in Rochdale will have the rare opportunity to see a full-size replica of the Turin Shroud (believed to be one of only six in the world) in an exhibition which will be in Saint George’s Church, Oakenrod in April 2016.

This display, which has toured internationally, will be on show for several days in the church together with a large exhibition and other artefacts detailing life in the time of Christ, his torture and crucifixion.

The Turin Shroud is an enigma which has divided experts for centuries.

The Shroud is a strip of linen cloth about 15 feet long which is held in Turin Cathedral and very rarely seen in public.

The Shroud carries an image of a man of middle-eastern appearance, both front and back. He is about six-feet tall and has long hair, typical of men in biblical times. There are what appear to be blood stains and wounds in hands, feet and side which coincide with the biblical accounts of Jesus Christ’s death as described in the Gospels.

A few singe marks and minor repairs are also in evidence. The image is like a photographic negative, but photography had not even been thought of when the shroud was first discovered.

Many experts believe that this is the actual burial shroud of Jesus Christ in which he was wrapped after being taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb.

There are other experts who discount this theory but one thing that puzzles them all is how the image came to be on the cloth. Photography was unknown but the image is anatomically correct. How was it imprinted on the cloth?

Carbon dating has been allowed only on a few strands of cloth from the Shroud but no one has been allowed to remove enough cloth from the original material to further test its authenticity.

The Turin Shroud Exhibition, which is entirely free, will be in the church from Friday 22 April until Tuesday 26 April. Weekdays opening times are 1.00pm until 7.00pm, Saturday 10.00am until 4.00pm and Sunday 1.00pm until 4.00pm.