Yesterday, I Saw the Vatican Splendors Exhibition

IMAGE OF CHRIST "The Mandylion of Edessa,"
the earliest known icon of Jesus, is on display
at the Western Reserve Historical Society as part of "Vatican Splendors,"
an exhibit featuring 200 priceless and rare items from the Vatican.
I took yesterday afternoon off from work in order to drive to Cleveland to see the Vatican Splendors Exhibition at the museum of The Western Reserve Historical Society. It was quite a rewarding experience

Included among the objects in the exhibit were a reliquary containing bones of Saint Peter, Bust of An Angel - a colorful mosaic attributed to the great 14th century painter Giotto, and the earliest representation of the face of Jesus, the Mandylion of Edessa (dating to circa 200-400 AD).

There was much, much more, with galleries organized thematically as follows: "Foundations of the Church"; "500 Years of the Vatican"; "The Work of the Pope"; and "Stories of the Popes".

As we were walking out of the museum, I told Sarah's aunt - who had accompanied me to see the exhibition - that the exhibition was one of the best ads for the Catholic Church that I had seen in a long time. If you live within a few hours drive of Cleveland, I highly recommend that you try to see Vatican Splendors.

Madonna del Sassoferrato, oil on copper,a painting by Giovanni Battista Salvi (known as il Sassoferrato),has never been displayed outside the Vatican.
Craig Litten / AP


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Reminder: Rare Vatican Treasures in Cleveland

Cleveland to Host Vatican Art Treasures