Another death in the world of Sindonology: on September 29, Isabel Piczek, well-known artist of Hungarian origin who lived in Los Angeles, died. Creator of great wall frescoes and of magnificent stained glass windows, she has received many awards for her masterpieces. In the field of Sindonology, she has proved how a medieval artist could not absolutely be able to realize the image present on the Shroud for various reasons, among which also the problems related to perspective. Together with other scholars, she had founded the AMSTAR (American Shroud of Turin Association for Research) and she had collaborated to the organization of two international congresses on the Shroud in Dallas, in 2001 and in 2005. Refined and sensitive woman, she leaves an indelible memory and a huge void (Emanuela Marinelli - September 30, 2016).

Another great friend of the Shroud has left us: prof. Gino Zaninotto, historian and Latin and Greek scholar, died yesterday at 80 years of age. In his extensive research on the Shroud, he had carried out in-depth studies on the Roman scourging and crucifixion. He has translated and commented on the De cruce by Justus Lipsius (1547-1606). He is also remembered for having discovered and translated important manuscripts, such as the codex Vat.Gr.511 sheets 143-150v., which dates back to the tenth century and contains the prayer of Gregory, archdeacon and Legal Secretary of the great Church of Constantinople (St. Sophia), a decisive acquisition in favor of the identification of the Edessa Image with the Shroud. We also thank him for the reporting of an interesting document: the Codex Vossianus Latinus Q 69, preserved in the library of the Rijksuniversiteit of Leyden (Netherlands). It is a tenth-century manuscript that reports an eighth-century story coming from the Syriac area, translated by the archiater Smera of Constantinople. It says that Jesus left the imprint of his entire body on a cloth kept in the Great Church of Edessa and those who contemplated it, could see the Lord like those who had met him on earth. (Emanuela Marinelli – September 19, 2016)

A great Shroud scholar has returned to the Father's House. Dr. Sebastiano Rodante, pediatrician, delegate for Sicily of the International Centre of Sindonology of Turin, died yesterday at  91 years. Professionalism, helpfulness and faith have marked him until the end. Since 1941 he has focused his efforts also on the scientific problems of the Shroud, going into that life experience which he called a wonderful Shroud adventure. He is considered one of the greatest exponents of the Shroud research for forensic and experimental findings related to the study on the crowning with thorns and to the investigation on the origin of the Shroud imprints. A guest in many national and international congresses, he has opened new and exciting chapters in the vast and fascinating Shroud compendium (www.siracusanews.it/node/76068 - September 9, 2016)