Before the Olympics, Turin Had the
Shroud
The 2006 Winter Olympics are bringing
a flood of tourists into Torino, Italy. In
Torino, or Turin, visitors hoping to
catch a glimpse of the famed Shroud of
Turin will be disappointed. The church
allows only periodic viewings. The cloth
contains a mysterious image which
some Christians believe is the burial
cloth of Jesus. Scientific testing of the
shroud approved by the Vatican dated it
to the Middle Ages. But then last year, a
prominent chemist questioned the
validity of the tests. His research
claimed the cloth could be 2,000 years
old. Church authorities have reportedly
refused further testing. The next
scheduled public display of the shroud
isn't for another 19 years.
On July 28, 1999 Steven had the
wonderful privilege to meet the
lead deacon in charge of the
Shroud of Turin. Steven dedicated
his painting,
 "The Kingdom Revealed" to the
San Giovanni
Battista Cathedral for the year
2000 jubilee celebration.

The presentation ceremony was
given with the Shroud of Turin in
exhibition. Steven and his wife
Jennifer were delighted to be
given this rare opportunity for a
personal visit with the shroud and
to donate his painting to the
cathedral's permanent collection.
Steven with his wife Jennifer and the lead deacon
in charge of the "Shroud of Turin" during the
presentation ceremony.
The Kingdom
Revealed
(second
version)
Oil on paper
9" x 12"
1999