By Amy Guckeen, Special to your Catholic Herald

MILWAUKEE — Bishops from dioceses in Wisconsin were given a sneak preview of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s new exhibition, “Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes” on Feb. 1, three days before the exhibit opened to the public.

With awe and an excitement that rivals those of young children on Christmas, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, Bishop Richard J. Sklba, Bishop Jerome E. Listecki of La Crosse, and retired Bishop Robert J. Banks and auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Morneau of Green Bay were shown through the exhibit by Msgr. Roberto Zagnoli, curator of the Vatican Museums of the Vatican City State.

As Archbishop Dolan translated the tour Msgr. Zagnoli gave in Italian, the bishops quietly took in the selected pieces that tell the tale of the ornate history of the church. Pausing in front of various artifacts that touched and intrigued them, the bishops reacted the way Msgr. Zagnoli hopes all visitors will — prayerfully, reverently, and with an attentive voracity, each on his own journey of faith.

“This isn’t just a story about the past,” Msgr. Zagnoli said. “It’s a story of the living church. We hope for this to serve as a continued dialogue with cultures and people of the world.”

The Mandylion of Edessa, a third to fifth century image on linen and considered the oldest representation of Christ, was one of the pieces that drew particular attention.

“We are not competent enough to comment on the miraculousness of this,” Msgr. Zagnoli said of the piece, whose measurements are similar to that of the Shroud of Turin.

Another piece that garnered attention of the bishops was the hammer used to verify the death of a pope. When a pope passes, he is struck on the head three times as he is called by his baptismal name and asked, “Are you alive?”

The final stop of the tour, a bronze cast of the hand of the late Pope John Paul II, gave a particular sense of awe-inspiring faith to the tour, as each bishop moved forth to grip the hand. More than 1 million visitors have grasped the hand as a sign of thanksgiving and reverence to John Paul II, who helped to initiate the traveling exhibition.

“You can feel the emotion and spirit take over as you touch that hand,” said Dan Finley, president of the museum.

For every bit of reverence and awe that accompanied the tour, there was also an energy and excitement at the viewing of the intricate and rich artifacts that symbolize the power and authority of the Catholic Church over the past 2,000 years. Often times sporting boyish grins, the bishops couldn’t help but joke with one another at certain points during the tour.

“Man alive!” exclaimed Archbishop Dolan at the sight of the chalice of Pope Pius IX, which is laden with jewels. “You’d have to do calisthenics to lift that!”

When seeing a depiction of St. Peter, the archbishop quipped, “I’m very happy to see he was bald.”

When showing the bishops some of the actual bills from construction on St. Peter’s Basilica, Msgr. Zagnoli mischievously told them, “Don’t worry. They’re already paid for.”

The gentle rapport among the bishops and Msgr. Zagnoli was symbolic of the purpose of the tour — a hope that people will witness the rich and intricate history that brings the faith alive.

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