As we have been coming to learn during our time in Rome, there are few things cooler than discovering a new church! Each one has its own particular history, its own beautiful art, usually a handful of saints and/or blesseds, and plenty of reasons to drop in and say a prayer. During Lent, we've learned that the only thing cooler than discovering new churches, is discovering new churches together, and having Mass at each of them! Every Lent, the North American College invites pilgrims from all over Rome to the Station Church pilgrimage, offering Mass in English at a different church in the city every day of Lent. This practice of pilgrimage began in Rome as soon as Christianity was made legal, as Christians began to celebrate the feasts of Our Lord and the saints at the various holy sites associated with those devotions. Over time, this pilgrimage took on a special significance during Lent, when Christians sought to remind themselves that our life on earth is a constant march toward the heavenly city, and the fullness of our Easter joy. This idea of a march was also an important one for the early Christians, because many of the saints who were venerated in Rome's churches were martyrs - soldiers who had completed this march of Faith by giving their lives for Christ.
Those chains held St. Peter as he was led to his crucifixion.
At some point in the recent past (I have no idea when), the NAC began to host station church Masses for English speaking pilgrims, using largely the same rotation of churches that have been used for centuries! The Masses begin at 7 am every day, and it is truly amazing to see how many people participate. Some pilgrims are in town for a few days, others have lived in Rome for many, many years. We meet young men and women from study abroad groups, couples celebrating their anniversaries, international classmates from our theological universities, and everybody in between! As for us NAC guys, we roll out bright and early (usually around 6:15, depending on the distance) and walk prayerfully through a beautiful Roman sunrise (or perhaps a torrential Roman downpour) toward whatever holy place awaits us. It has truly been a blessing to experience this Lent on foot with my brothers and sisters, praying at some of the holiest sites in the world. Please know that my daily prayers and journeys have been offered for all of you who support me in so many ways!
San Giorgio in Velabro contains the relics of St. George, patron saint of England (and of my Dad).
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The Church of San Marco is built on the site where St. Mark wrote His Gospel.
The Basilica of Sts. John and Paul contains chandeliers from the Waldorf Hotel in New York!
A beautiful morning at St. Paul Outside the Walls (after a 75 minute walk!).
In Christ,
Colin
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