Jesus, the Light of the World
Submitted by Pam Moon, Shroud of Turin Exhibition
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). In October 2025, Fr. Gwilym Lloyd, Parish Priest at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Streetly, north Birmingham, UK, held a mission week with the sisters of the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham. The Shroud of Turin Exhibition which features replicas of the Holy Shroud was also in the church. One of the exhibits is a lenticular photograph which alternates between the Face of Jesus in the black and white negative image of the Shroud and a painting of Jesus by the artist Ariel Agemain. During Mass on one of the days of the mission an extraordinary light appeared on the Face of Christ.
Fr. Gwil writes:
‘I was celebrating morning Mass and had reached the point of raising Jesus and saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” when I was struck by the beauty of the light streaming through our Holy Spirit window and illuminating the picture of Jesus in the Turin Shroud Exhibition. The face of Jesus was suffused with light. It was breath-taking. Even though we were at such a holy moment in the Mass the Lord prompted me to place the Host back on the paten and ask the congregation to turn around and see this beautiful illuminated face of Jesus. It was as if I was looking into the shekinah glory of God in the face of Jesus. I was so overcome and prompted by an inner voice I asked a parishioner to take a photo of it. In fact, several did and ended up with this photograph which is what we all saw. However, a second photograph produced something which none of us saw. It was the shining face of Jesus with a bright lit cross superimposed on it with Jesus looking through the cross and with the Divine Mercy colours on either side of the cross. It was truly amazing. I felt that in some profound way the glory of the risen Lord was looking at me through the cross with love and mercy in his eyes and, somehow, I had had a glimpse of heaven. Yes, it could all be a trick of the light but for me it was moment of God’s loving grace and I shall cherish it.’
Below are photographs of the Holy Spirit window in the church and the usual view of the lenticular exhibit. On seeing the images, taken by Sr. Camilla COLW and Tony Weir, Cardinal Archbishop Vincent Nichols wrote: ‘The account of that moment of light and grace during Mass is a beautiful reminder of how the Lord so often reveals His presence in quiet yet striking ways.’
May the light and presence of Christ illuminate us as we follow him.
