April 2025 First Friday Friars Announcement
 

Dear Brother Friars,

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, we invite you to a powerful and thought-provoking First Friday gathering on April 4, 2025. This first Friday in April during our Lenten season, we will take an unprecedented deep dive into the mystery of the Shroud of Turin, as we put it “on trial” and examine the scientific and scriptural evidence surrounding this sacred relic.

Featured Presentation: “The Shroud of Turin on Trial” with Honorable Judge Dave Belz

We are honored to welcome Honorable Judge Dave Belz, a respected legal mind and Catholic leader, who will present a trial-like examination of the Shroud of Turin.

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• Three full-size exhibition pieces of the Shroud will be on display.

• Judge Belz will present cutting-edge scientific research, including the latest X-ray spectrometry testing unequivocally dating the Shroud to Christ’s time on earth.

• He will weave faith, science, and scripture together, answering the fundamental question: Is the Shroud the burial cloth of Christ? And what does the Shroud mean for us as Catholics and to the greater Christian community?

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Schedule – Friday, April 4, 2025
St. John Maron Maronite Catholic Church – 300 S. Flower St, Orange, CA 92868
 

• 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Confessions, Rosary, Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

• 12:00 Noon: Angelus

• 12:00 - 12:30 PM: Holy Mass, Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

• 12:45 - 2:00 PM: Monthly Meeting - Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lunch & Presentation – “The Shroud of Turin on Trial”

• 2:00 - 2:30 PM: Q & A, Raffle, and Closing Announcements

 

About Judge Dave Belz
 

Judge Belz was born and raised in Orange County, attending St. Boniface Catholic School and Servite High School. A Pepperdine Law School graduate (1975), he spent 32 years as a trial lawyer, handling jury trials in state and federal courts before being appointed to the Orange County Superior Court in 2009.

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During his 13+ years on the bench, he presided over family and probate court, gaining expertise in evidence and legal reasoning. Judge Belz is the founder and 10-year president of the St. Thomas More Society of Orange County and serves on the Board of Directors for the Shroud Center of Southern California at the Santiago Retreat Center. He has given numerous presentations on the Shroud, making the case for its authenticity from a legal and evidentiary standpoint.

Guests Are Welcome – Bring Your Wives!

We encourage you to invite your spouses, family, and friends to this remarkable event. This will be a rare opportunity to examine the evidence surrounding the most studied relic in human history.

RSVP ASAP – This Event Will Sell Out!
 

With such a compelling topic and Judge Belz leading the discussion, we anticipate a full house. Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot.
 

Join us for this extraordinary presentation as we deepen our faith and prepare our hearts for Easter. 

 

Yours in Christ,
Jean-Paul S. Afif
President, First Friday Friars

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