One of the great Roman Catholic Traditions of Lent are the practice of pilgrimage to the Stational Churches. It is experiencing a revival after half a century or more of decline. Each day in Lent, the Pope or his delegate leads a penitential procession from one church in Rome to another, while singing the litany of saints. This daily practice has the effect of reminding the faithful of the pilgrimage nature of the Christian life; we are passing through this world to an eternal destination.

This is also a way to bring the faith to the public square. Upon arrival Mass is celebrated at the stational church, dedicated to a saint whose relics are most often beneath the altar. In this way, the communion of saints is kept before us. We are reminded that we are not alone in our pilgrimage, but that there are many who are already victorious in the struggle and wait for us at our destination.

At St. Peter in Volo, we participate in this tradition by a daily procession to a shrine set up in front of Mary’s altar. This shrine has the title of the Stational Church in Rome of each day and a reliquary with an actual fragment of stone of that church. During the procession we sing an abbreviated version of the Litany of Saints ending with the patron saint of the stational church, often the church contains the relics of that saint. Each church's history is a treasury of tradition and faith that reminds us as Roman Catholics of our Roman heritage, that it was through the Apostle’s Peter and Paul that we received the Faith.  I hope you will join me on this daily pilgrimage through this Lent to the celebration of the Paschal Mysteries. 

Fr. Nathan

Below you will find the full list of churches, including the date of each visit. Click on the linked names to learn more about that particular church.

Week of Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday – Santa Sabina
Thursday – San Giorgio al Velabro
Friday – Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Saturday – Sant’Agostino

First Week of Lent

Sunday – Saint John Lateran
Monday – San Pietro in Vincoli
Tuesday – Sant’Anastasia
Wednesday – Saint Mary Major
Thursday – San Lorenzo in Panisperna
Friday – Santi Apostoli
Saturday – Saint Peter’s Basilica (Part 1)

Second Week of Lent

Sunday – Santa Maria in Domnica
Monday – San Clemente
Tuesday – Santa Balbina
Wednesday – Santa Cecilia
Thursday – Santa Maria in Trastevere
Friday – San Vitale
Saturday – Santi Marcellino e Pietro

Third Week of Lent

Sunday – San Lorenzo fuori le Mura
Monday – San Marco
Tuesday – Santa Pudenziana
Wednesday – San Sisto
Thursday – Santi Cosma e Damiano
Friday – San Lorenzo in Lucina
Saturday – Santa Susanna

Fourth Week of Lent

Sunday – Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Part 1)
Monday – Santi Quattro Coronati
Tuesday – San Lorenzo in Damaso
Wednesday – Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Thursday – Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti
Friday – Sant’Eusebio
Saturday – San Nicola in Carcere

Fifth Week of Lent

Sunday – Saint Peter’s Basilica (Part 2)
Monday – San Crisogono
Tuesday – Santa Maria in via Lata
Wednesday – San Marcello
Thursday – Sant’Apollinare
Friday – Santo Stefano
Saturday – San Giovanni a Porta Latina

Holy Week

Palm Sunday – Saint John Lateran (Part 2)
Monday – Santa Prassede
Tuesday – Santa Prisca
Wednesday – Saint Mary Major (Part 2)
Thursday – Saint John Lateran (Part 3)
Good Friday – Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Part 2)
Holy Saturday – Saint John Lateran (Part 4)
Easter Sunday – Saint Mary Major (Part 3)