No 1 Ultimate Guide to Lenten Station Churches of Rome

The ancient tradition of visiting certain churches in Rome, known as Station Churches, during the solemn season of Lent is like a mini-pilgrimage and journey in faith.

History of the Station Churches of Rome

From the earliest exhortation of Jesus to Peter to feed His lambs and feed His sheep, the role of the Bishop of Rome has been to build up the Body of Christ within his jurisdiction by nourishing the faithful as a father, teacher, doctor, gardener, shepherd, leader and protector.

Whilst the Catholic Church was undergoing intense persecution in the first centuries, then the Bishop did this in a personal and hidden way.  However, with the legalisation of the Church in 313 A.D. the Bishop could more openly & visibly interact with his flock.  As Pope Benedict XIV noted in his UBI PRIMUM (On the Duties of Bishops) in 1740 from Santa Maria Maggiore, the Bishop has the ‘the obligation of visiting [his] churches […] in order to acquaint [himself] with [his] sheep and with the appearance of [his] flock.’

Indeed we know that from the 4th century onwards, the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, would interact with different parishes of his diocese by visiting different churches at different times.  These visitations were often linked to the liturgical calendar – for example saying Holy Mass at Santa Croce on Good Friday, or Santa Maria Maggiore at Christmas, but also linked to different relics and deaths of the Roman martyrs.  As time went on, the schedule of these visits became more formalised as the liturgical calendar became more concrete by the second half of the 5th century.

Lent and Station Churches

During the solemn liturgical season of Lent – a time for the Christian to refocus on God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving – the Bishop of Rome assisted his flock in this spiritual time of preparation for Easter in a kind of pilgrimage through his diocese with his flock.  Reminiscent of the pilgrimage of the Jews in the desert before they reach the promised land, the Pope would therefore visit a different church for each day of Lent focusing on different areas of the city like a patchwork.

In the weeks before the beginning of Lent, the three large basilicas outside the walls were visited – St Paul Outside the Walls, St Lawrence Outside the Walls and St Stefano Outside the Walls from Septuagesima Sunday until Quintagesima Sunday.  This formed a ring of prayer around the city before the season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday.

In accordance with the structure observed in the latter part of the first millennium, the populace would assemble in the mid-afternoon alongside the Pope at a designated church, commonly referred to as the “collectum.” Following a series of prayers, the congregation would then proceed in procession to the “statio,” where Mass would be celebrated.

The usage of the term “statio” for this concluding point holds a connection with the custom of fasting observed during these days. Christians of that era drew parallels between their fasting and prayer practices during Lent and the duty of soldiers on guard, viewing their actions with a similar level of solemn dedication. Consequently, the term “statio” became associated with the Eucharistic ceremonies conducted on days of fasting. Over time, it evolved to encompass all churches where the principal liturgical observance of the city was scheduled to take place on a particular day.

Lenten Schedule of Station Churches

The order of the Station Churches was originally set in around the 5th century but would undergo several changes in following centuries with the ravaging of time.  The current order was essentially fixed by the time of the Council of Trent in the 16th century with some churches having been lost.  To learn more about the Catholic faith, visit crucis.cc

Please find a list of the Station Churches with their corresponding date below, together with one of our tours that either includes the Station Church or which is in the near vicinity: