'Man of the Shroud' Makes Easter 'More Vivid'

by Benjamin Shane Evans | March 24, 2026

The Spirit Catholic Radio-sponsored “Man of the Shroud” presentation at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Council Bluffs took place on Thursday, March 19, at 6:30 p.m., as part of an exhibit that was open to the public from March 15-19.

The nearly 90-minute presentation and Q&A session, led by Shroud expert Jim Bertrand, M.Ed., included a full-size replica of the Shroud of Turin, the linen burial cloth which bears the image of a male figure with features consistent with crucifixion that is currently housed in a climate-controlled container at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. It also included a standalone walk-through exhibit of 42 panels that provided more in-depth information on the Shroud, and display cases with replicas of the Crown of Thorns, nails, whips, and Holy Sponge.

The presentation included a detailed history of the various efforts to verify the shroud’s authenticity as actual burial garment of Jesus. According to the National Catholic Reporter, the Holy See has never officially pronounced the shroud as authentic, though Pope John Paul II referred to it as a “distinguished relic linked to the mystery of our redemption” while visiting Turin in April 1980, and Pope Pius XII called the shroud a “holy thing perhaps like nothing else” in 1936. Recent Popes Benedict XVI and Francis referred to it only as an “icon.”

With divided opinion, Bertrand’s presentation was careful to present information free from bias in attempt to allow the audience to come to their own conclusions and focused on the shroud’s ability to connect believers with the spiritual reality of Christ.   

“We are sensory creatures,” Bertrand said. “We like to see, we like to touch, we like to feel. And you can hear about something that was a historical event, but if you've never seen it, it's just not as real.”

For Bertrand, relics and other physical objects help connect Catholics to the reality of the historical event, which further helps them connect with the reality of the story and the reality of Eucharist.

“They see more easily see the Eucharist, they can see a connection between the priest and the apostles,” Bertrand said. “There's a physical connection to Christ.”

St. Patrick’s pastor Fr. Joel McNeil said that, coming into Holy Week, he hoped the Shroud presentation makes the Easter experience more vivid for those who attended.

“We've heard the story our whole lives, and sometimes it can seem like a story, but with this sacred relic, it seems more tangible,” Fr. McNeil said. “Christ was resurrected in his physical body. It was a historical event. St. Thomas touched his hands and put his finger in the side and touched this. And so, in a way, this sacred relic helps us to have a similar sort of experience. We get really close to touching the mystery of the Resurrection through it.”

Because of this, Bertrand wanted people who hear the presentation to take with them not just the contact with the physical object of the Shroud but also that deeper connection to the physical reality of Christ’s death and the hope of our resurrection with him on Easter Sunday.

“People should fix their hope on the Resurrection,”  Bertrand said. “If people can keep that perspective, I think it helps them get through the Good Fridays of their life, realizing there's a permanent Easter Sunday at the end.”