SHENANDOAH -- A replica of the Shroud of Turin is now on display at a church in a Schuylkill County community.
The display of the religious icon coincides with Shenandoah’s celebration of its 150th anniversary.
The actual 2,000-year-old shroud is in Italy and is believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion.
There are only nine replicas in the world and now, one can be found at St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church on South Chestnut Street in Shenandoah.
"It made me almost cry. I was so thrilled to see it. I mean how many people get to see something as beautiful as this? A reflection of our lord. It's beautiful," said Susan Enders of Shenandoah.
The rare, Vatican-approved replica travels around the world and has the exact imprints and stains as the original cloth.
“I've seen people who came yesterday who were just moved by it. The tears just started flowing. This has to be real," said Monsignor Myron Grabowsky.
Some have come to see this replica of the Shroud of Turin just to touch it, believing it has some sort of healing power. Others have come just to see if you can really see an image of Christ in it.
From the side, you get the best vantage point to see a full body outline, from his head to his hands to his feet.
"You can see the image of his face. You can see the whip marks," said Demetrius Grabowsky of Shenandoah.
This is the second time a Shroud of Turin replica was allowed to come to Shenandoah. This time, it coincides with the borough's upcoming sesquicentennial celebration.
"They asked would it be possible, if the archbishop would allow it to come? I wrote and the archbishop immediately gave his blessing for it to come here for this occasion," Monsignor Grabowsky said.
Hundreds have already come to see the replica of the shroud and thousands are expected as it will remain on display from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. for the next two weeks.
