Countless parish churches around the world have Stations of the Cross during Lent. Rome has its station churches. Visiting these station churches has been a central feature of Christian life for at least 15 centuries.
The faithful make their way to a different church each of the 40 days of Lent for Mass and the singing of the Litany of the Saints. The pilgrimage to the shrines of the apostles and martyrs is an opportunity to pray for the Church through the intercession of the saints.
The practice of visiting the particular station churches dates back to the pontificate of Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604). Pope St. Gregory standardized the churches throughout Rome that would be used for the "statio," or stations, during the liturgical year. With time, the stations were moved to the Lenten season, but the list of churches has mostly remained the same since the time of Gregory.
The practice of the Lenten stations declined in the late Middle Ages and was revived after the Council of Trent in the 16th century. They became popular again in the past century, even though the Popes have ceased to preside over the daily stations.
Chris Nyborg's Guide to the Churches of Rome has great information and history about each of the Station Churches - special thanks to the Wayback Machine.
Take a virtual tour of the Station Churches | |
| LENTEN SEASON | STATIONAL CHURCH
|
| WEEK OF ASH WEDNESDAY | |
| Ash Wednesday | St. Sabina at the Aventine |
| Thursday | S. Giorgio al Velabro |
| Friday | Ss. Giovanni e Paolo al Celio |
| Saturday | S. Agostino in Campo Marzio |
| I Sunday of Lent | St. John Lateran
|
| 1ST WEEK OF LENT | |
| Monday | S. Pietro in Vincoli al Colle Oppio |
| Tuesday | S. Anastasia (S. Teodoro) al Palatino |
| Wednesday | St. Mary Major |
| Thursday | S. Lorenzo in Panisperna |
| Friday | Ss. XII Apostoli al Foro Traiano |
| Saturday | St. Peter in the Vatican
|
| 2ND WEEK OF LENT | |
| II Sunday of Lent | S. Maria in Domenica alla Navicella |
| Monday | S. Clemente presso il Colosseo |
| Tuesday | S. Balbina all'Aventino |
| Wednesday | S. Cecilia in Trastevere |
| Thursday | S. Maria in Trastevere |
| Friday | S. Vitale in Fovea (via Nazionale) |
| Saturday | Ss. Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano (via Merulana)
|
| 3RD WEEK OF LENT | |
| III Sunday of Lent | S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura |
| Monday | S. Marco al Campidoglio |
| Tuesday | S. Pudenziana al Viminale |
| Wednesday | S. Sisto (SS. Nereo e Achilleo) |
| Thursday | Ss. Cosma e Damiano in Via Sacra (Fori Imperiali) |
| Friday | S. Lorenzo in Lucina |
| Saturday | S. Susanna alle Terme di Diocleziano
|
| 4TH WEEK OF LENT | |
| IV Sunday of Lent | S. Croce in Gerusalemme |
| Monday | Ss. Quattro Coronati al Celio |
| Tuesday | S. Lorenzo in Damaso |
| Wednesday | St. Paul outside the Walls |
| Thursday | Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti |
| Friday | S. Eusebio all'Esquilino |
| Saturday | S. Nicola in Carcere
|
| 5TH WEEK OF LENT | |
| V Sunday of Lent | St. Peter in the Vatican |
| Monday | S. Crisogono in Trastevere |
| Tuesday | S. Ciriaco (S. Maria in via Lata al Corso) |
| Wednesday | S. Marcello al Corso |
| Thursday | S. Apollinare in Campo Marzio |
| Friday | S. Stefano al Celio |
| Saturday | S. Giovanni a Porta Latina
|
| HOLY WEEK | |
| Palm Sunday | St. John Lateran |
| Monday | S. Prassede all'Esquilino |
| Tuesday | S. Prisca all'Aventino |
| Wednesday | St. Mary Major |
| Thursday | St. John Lateran |
| Friday | S. Croce in Gerusalemme |
| Saturday | St. John Lateran
|
| EASTER SEASON | |
| Easter Sunday | St. Mary Major |
| Monday | St. Peter in the Vatican |
| Tuesday | St. Paul outside the Walls |
| Wednesday | S. Lorenzo fuori le Mura |
| Thursday | Ss. XII Apostoli al Foro Traiano |
| Friday | S. Maria ad Martyres in Campo Marzio (Pantheon) |
| Saturday | St. John Lateran |
| II Easter Sunday (in Albis) | S. Pancrazio |
So which ones should I visit? A: Besides the major and minor basilicas, the titular Churches are the older and more venerated places, the original "house" Churches of Rome, many before Christianity was legal, such as: St. Pudenziana (connected with St. Peter), Sts. John and Paul on the Aventine, St. Clement near the Colosseum (the 4th Pope), and St. Susanna (on Via Venti Settembre).
The Major Basilicas: St. Peters (Vatican), St. Paul's Outside the walls, St. John Latern, St. Mary Major
The Minor Basilicas: St. Sebastian on Appian Way, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, San Lorenzo (fuori le Mura)
Trivia buffs: What are the four most popular churches for weddings in Rome? A: Sts. John and Paul on the Aventine, St. Frances in the Forum, St. Cecilia in Trastevere, and St. Gregory the Great on the Coelian.
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