Shroud of Jesus class at John Paul II High School

Originally posted on www.anchornews.org
By Joan Warren

HYANNIS — Last spring, a new class on the Shroud of Turin at John Paul II High School was introduced and is now a part of  the regular curriculum.

Deacon Peter Schutzler, a teacher at the school in Hyannis, brought the idea of the class to administrators at the Diocese of Fall River after hearing a presentation at Christ the King Parish from Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, author of the book, The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed.

Deacon Schultzer was so impressed with Dr. Lavoie and the topic that he approached Sandi Duxbury, of the Catholic School Office, about presenting this material to high school students.

“We are looking to partner more directly this school year, to showcase how hard science and the Catholic Faith are not in opposition to each other,” Deacon Schultzer said.

As many know, the Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth revered by many as the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, has fascinated scholars and believers alike for centuries. First put on public display in the 1350s, the shroud displays a faint image of a man, which has been the subject of intense debate regarding its origins and authenticity.

When it was initially presented, the Shroud was heralded as the actual burial cloth used to wrap the body of Christ after his crucifixion. The image on the shroud, depicting a bearded man with his arms crossed, was believed by many to be a miraculous imprint of Jesus himself. Scientific research in the 1980s cast doubt on this claim, dating the fabric to the Middle Ages, long after Jesus lived, but this research has since been criticized by scholars and has been considered disproven by subsequent research.

“We at the Catholic Schools Office and Deacon Peter assisted in turning this into a curriculum for high school juniors. Dr. Lavoie zoomed in on the first day of the course, and attended in person on the final day,” Duxbury said.

The key objective for Dr. Lavoie is having young people learn about what he discovered and the powerful message this discovery tells the world.

Dr. Lavoie’s book would, in essence, be the “textbook” for this curricular unit.

‘‘I decided to pilot this in a Junior theology class. This class had a grouping of students who would be able to work with this material and offer us mature and direct feedback.  A number of these students have a strong faith, but some did not and a few are discerning what they believe. Not unusual for this age,” Deacon Schultzer said.

Dr. Lavoie’s research, findings, book, and ultimately the “aha” moment that he has captured needs to be communicated throughout the Diocese, Deacon Schultzer believes.

The discovery is that the body of Jesus is not in a reclining position; rather, he is in an upright position.

The book and the new curriculum has had a tremendous impact on these students, the deacon said.

“This book presented a large amount of
forensic and scientific material. I asked our Science Department Chair to read the book.  She did and then offered to be a resource for the students on an as needed basis. We touched on that last spring, but one could easily go into more depth,” Deacon Schultzer said.

For the book, Dr. Lavoie conducted his own studies to determine how blood transferred from a crucified body to cloth. He applies his experience in treating trauma patients and observing the appearance of corpses in autopsy rooms to unveil intriguing insights about the image and blood on the shroud. He details other experts’ hands-on observations of the shroud at microscopic, biological, and chemical levels and shows how they attest to its authenticity.

As a physician, Dr. Lavoie has spent the past 40 years extensively researching the Shroud of Turin and this book is the culmination of his findings.

Deacon Schultzer described the structure of the course.

‘‘We started with Dr. Lavoie joining us virtually to introduce why he spent 40 plus years of his life on this. We asked him to take 30 minutes and basically do something akin to a movie ‘trailer’ to peak their interest. Then we dove into reading the book and looking closer at what was presented. At one point we teed up the ‘big reveal’ which goes into detail about what we see on the shroud.  Hint, the man we see is not lying down.

‘‘Throughout this unit, students had opportunity to discuss in smaller groups and then subsequently present to the class what they discovered. Some classes were lecture format and others were discussion oriented. The final and culminating moment was when Dr. Lavoie visited the class in person. He brought with him a bronze bust by an artist who created this and a full-sized sculpture based on what is seen on the Shroud.”

The full-sized sculpture is from the library at Ave Maria University in Florida.

At the end of the term, Deacon Schultzer   built into this pilot unit the opportunity for students to offer anonymous feedback for the book, the method of teaching and the impact all of this had on them as students.

Each student was asked to describe how this book and what it presents may have impacted his or her own faith and belief that Jesus is real, and the spiritual life is real. One student wrote:

‘‘Reading ‘The Shroud of Jesus’ by Dr. Lavoie was a deeply moving and enlightening experience for me. The meticulous way Dr. Lavoie examined the Shroud from the blood stains to the anatomical position of the man on the Shroud was mind blowing. Dr. Lavoie’s strategic and devoted approach to investigating the Shroud was incredibly inspiring. His dedication to uncovering the truth about something so meaningful to him inspires me to want to learn more about Jesus and his life. Knowing that there is literal proof that Jesus was an actual person backed with scientific analysis encourages me to not think of Jesus in a divine sense only, but a human one as well.

‘‘The Shroud serves as a powerful symbol that can help others strengthen their belief or even come to faith. It feels like a sign from God, affirming Jesus’ presence in our lives. This book has not only deepened my faith but also inspired me to pursue my interests with the same level of dedication and passion that Dr. Lavoie demonstrated. Dr. Lavoie spent many years tirelessly studying and attempting to prove something he has had a passion for. I believe God gave him that strength to pursue his interests. This inspires me to never give up and pursue my dreams even if it will take a long time, God will be there every step of the way.”