About the Station Churches
Pilgrims who travel to Rome during Lent can participate in a beautiful custom that dates back to the fourth century. It’s a custom that began as a way to strengthen the sense of community in the city while honoring the holy martyrs of Rome. The faithful would end their daily lenten fast by gathering at a church, called the collect. From here they would be met by the bishop of Rome, the Holy Father. Together they would process through the streets while praying the Litany of Saints. Once they arrived at that day’s station church, the pope would celebrate Mass for the local community.
Though this practice was around for years, Pope Saint Gregory the Great established the order of the churches to be visited, the prayers to be recited, and designated this as a Lenten practice. The tradition continued until 1309, when the papacy moved to Avignon. Pope Leo XIII revived the tradition and it was fully restored by John XXIII in 1959.
These days, the Holy Father only joins the local community for the first Mass on Ash Wednesday.
Throughout Lent, we’ll visit these station churches together. Forty churches in all.
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)