MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1962:

THE VIRGIN OF MOUNT CARMEL AND
THE SHROUD OF TURIN: "IT IS THE DIVINE IMPRINT OF MY SON!"

On the Feastday of St. Charles Borromeo, a great architect of the Council of Trent and Cardinal Archbishop of Turin, who went four times on a pilgrimage to venerate the famous Shroud of Turin, it appears appropriate for us to deal briefly with the matter of the "Sabana Santa."

That Spanish expression means the "Shroud of Turin" . . . The Blessed Virgin at Garabandal used it formally, at least on one occasion. During an apparition She, in fact, confirmed to Conchita that "it is the divine imprint of my Son . . .", without the visionary having questioned the Vision about this and not even knowing what the expression "Sabana Santa" meant! She gave immediately an account of this remarkable episode to the Marquis and Marquess of Santa Maria, present that day at San Sebastian de Garabandal, and also witnesses of many other events occurring there. As to the "Sabana Santa" episode, I received personally the information from them.

The words of the Blessed Virgin to Conchita were also, so at least we think, confirming the identity of the mysterious crucified man. His imprint -- quite notably, the Vision said nothing about the datation of the Shroud itself -- due to an alpha radiation scientifically unexplainable, was undoubtedly left "to beckon" us to a faith of great depths! In other words, an imprint not man-made, but the work of a transcendent, divine Artist! Furthermore, the "scorching" we see on the body of the victim, as well as his members free of fractures, all that makes us recall those texts of the Book of Exodus describing the ritual of the Paschal Lamb: "You shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn." (Ex. 12:10), and "you shall not break any of its bones" (Ex. 12:46)? A Paschal mystery we will understand later . . . the extent to which, and in what a wonderful way, the "grace" of Garabandal is linked!
[From 'Garabandal' Book, pages 156-157]

When I first read about the Shroud and saw the pictures, I believed it showed Our Lord's dead body right away. I've read a number of different books and articles about this amazing piece of cloth, which is over 2000 years old. I'm also thinking about the picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which was divinely painted on the tilma of Juan Diego, who is now a Saint!

Almighty God created the universe from nothing, and created us from the dust; why can't He continue His artistic work in creating these images also? Do you believe in them or are you troubled with the supernatural world. Even Pope John Paul II believed in them, he went to both shrines to kneel and venerate both images! He's almost a Saint also!!!
Roman Deacon