Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin is believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. The Shroud makes an appearance in Death Masks.

Description
The Shroud was stolen by the Churchmice led by Gaston LaRouche three days prior to Harry being hire to find it. It was taken from the Cathedtral of Saint John the Baptiste in Turin, Northern Italy.

History
The Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth used by Joseph of Aramthea to wrap the body of Jesus after the Crucifixion. The clothe supposedly has the image of Christ imposed on it in his blood adn was wrapped around in during the resurrection. It was almost burned a few years back when the Cathedtral caught fire. It is the probably the most vital artifact the Church own.

Appearance

 * It is a rectangular piece of linen cloth fourteen feet three inches long by three feet, seven inches. It is handwovern three-to-one herringbone twill. There are many patches and stains on it.
 * It was no larger than a folder shirt and kept in a plastic bag.

Powers

 * It is a powerful symbol of faith of which many people believe. Harry suggests tha tit has magical power because magic comes from a lot of people believing in something.

Details

 * It's fragile relic. It's been in the church's possession for many centuries.
 * Harry felt a tingling sensation when he touched the Shroud.
 * It is politically significant to the Church.

Death Masks
In Death Masks, Harry in hired by Father Vincent to find and retrieve the Shroud of Turin Harry almost gets the Shroud from Anna Valmont and Francisca Garcia on The Estranger. Ana gets the drop on Harry. Then Deirdre attacked the ship and killed Francisca and put a hole in the hull but Ana gets away with the Shroud. Harry finds a lead as to were to find Ana and the Shroud next just in time to escape the sinking ship.

The next time Harry crosses paths with the Shroud is in a basement room at the Marriott Downtown Chicago Hotel when Harry secretly watches the deal go down between Valmont and Marcone via palmtop computer. Once payment is made, Ana informs Marcone that it's in a tube with an explosive device that she'll disengage once she is clear. There goes Harry's plan to take it behind Ana's back. The Nickelheads attacked led by Nicodemus Archleone with Deirdre and Snakeboy. Susan and Martin escape with Valmont but Nicodemus kidnaps Harry and the Shroud. Quintus Cassius, aka "Snakeboy", had been impersonating Father Vincent. Harry finds out form him that the shroud is going to be used from the O'hare Airport to unleash a curse that releases a contagion to be spread as far as it can be spread.

Shiro Yoshimo told Harry that so long as Nicodemus touches the Shroud, the curse holds. he must get it away from him and it will end. Harry, Michael Carpenter and Sanya go after the shroud, they get with Marcone's help. Marcone hauled Harry and Michael out of the water using the Shroud.

Harry follows Marcone to a hospital where he places the Shroud over a little girl—Helen Beckitt's daughter Amanda Beckitt—in a permeant coma for taking a bullet meant for him. Father Anthony Forthill received the Shroud at St. Mary of the Angels church shortly after.