SHENANDOAH - Visitors to St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church, Chestnut and Oak streets, to see the Shroud of Turin replica on Sunday had a wide variety of reactions, including awe, silence, tears, the need to touch it, and most of all, reverence.
Delivered to the church on Saturday, the shroud replica, measuring 14.3 by 3.7 feet, is in a wooden display located near the icon wall - iconostasis - in front of the church. It is set at an angle so visitors can get a good look at the replica of the shroud, which many believe to be burial cloth of Jesus Christ.
The official welcome of the shroud replica was made during the Sunday Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. by Monsignor Myron Grabowsky, pastor.
"On behalf of St. Michael Church and St. Nicholas Church in Saint Clair, we wish that you come and participate in this Divine Liturgy," he said. "Also, we want you to take in the presence of Our Lord here in the Shroud, and that you look upon it and let it just touch your hearts in the way you can be touched. Each of us is different and the Lord will allow that (to) take place in each of us."
The Rev. Johnson Kochuparambul, parochial vicar of the Roman Catholic churches in Shenandoah, assisted in the Divine Liturgy. Attending in a group were members of the Knights of Columbus Francis Cardinal Brennan Council 618 and American Legion Anthony P. Damato "Medal of Honor" Post 792, both of Shenandoah. Three sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, the religious order founded by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, came from their convent in Mahanoy City to attend.
The church opened at 9 a.m., which allowed visitors to see the shroud before the Divine Liturgy, the electronic media to record the shroud and Grabowsky, Paul Kerrick and William Jones to answer questions and point out details in the shroud.
During his homily, Grabowsky spoke of the original Shroud of Turin in Italy and how "it reminds us of what Our Lord Jesus Christ did for us. It shows what this man, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did because of His love for you and for me."
Throughout the two weeks, there will be volunteers available at the shroud as hosts and guides. A display to explain what the shroud shows is in the church vestibule, along with holy cards and a brochure with additional information. People are encouraged to say the "Prayer at the Holy Shroud" in the brochure.
Edward and Gloria Gwiadowski, Palmerton, came to Shenandoah to visit a relative and decided to stop at the church. Both are originally from Shenandoah.
"We didn't realize it was the first day today for the shroud," Gloria Gwiadowski said. "We went to visit them (relatives) and they weren't home, so we decided to come see the shroud."
"We went downstairs to see the film, which was very interesting," Edward Gwiadowski said.
"The shroud is just amazing," Gloria added. "I did see a replica in Rome many, many years ago. It was high up so you couldn't really get near it. It's amazing you can actually look at it close up and touch it here. It's wonderful."
Ann DeTurk Swaldi, Ringtown, said it is a great opportunity to see what the Shroud of Turin looks like close up.
"This is so enlightening in its enormous presentation," said Swaldi, tears filling her eyes. "It is absolutely beautiful. I have a torn rotator cuff with a lot of pain and seeing the shroud makes the pain so much easier to bear. It does."
After the Divine Liturgy, Grabowsky said he's been thrilled with the reception of the shroud by so many people.
"They're all being touched," he said. "Everyone will be moved in their own special way. The Lord will touch the heart if we're open to allow our heart to be touched by Him. That's what is so important. And this is a great renewal for Shenandoah, especially after such a tragedy yesterday (fire destroyed or damaged 11 homes on West Coal and North Jardin streets) and then today being able to come and witness the presence of Our Lord."
The following services and devotions will be held during the two weeks the shroud replica will be at St. Michael church:
- The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and the rosary will be recited at 3 p.m. daily.
- Prayer services will be conducted at noon March 7.
- Healing services will be held at 5 p.m. Feb. 27 and 5 p.m. March 6. Grabowsky will be available for healing prayer and anointing throughout the exhibit.
- Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be at 4 p.m. Feb. 27 and 4 p.m. March 6.
- Stations of the Cross will be held at 3 p.m. March 3. The stations are part of the deanerywide devotions during Lent in area Ukrainian Catholic churches. The Rev. Archpriest Daniel Troyan, director of evangelization for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia who coordinates the shroud replica visits, will speak on the shroud and its history.
- Divine liturgies will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and March 2 and 10:30 a.m. March 3.
- The church will have guides available to answer questions and a priest will be available for confessions and counseling throughout the shroud's display.
- A monitor will be set up and videos about the Shroud of Turin will be screened in the church hall on the ground floor.
The Vatican-approved replica - one of nine such replicas - is on display from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through March 8. Regular church services during the two weeks will be held during those times. The replica will be removed from the church on the morning of March 9 to be delivered to its next exhibit location in Wilmington, Del.