St Lawrence Pilgrim Church Tour

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St Lawrence Pilgrim Church Tour in Rome

The St Lawrence Pilgrim Church Tour visits one of Rome’s traditional Seven Pilgrim Churches and the sacred tomb shared by St Lawrence and St Stephen. With a knowledgeable Catholic guide, explore an extraordinary basilica shaped by early Christian martyrdom, medieval pilgrimage, papal history and the destruction of the Second World War.

The St Lawrence Pilgrim Church Tour also visits the richly decorated tomb of Blessed Pius IX, the reconstructed medieval portico, ancient sarcophagi and the basilica’s remarkable Cosmatesque sanctuary.

St Lawrence: Deacon, Martyr and Servant of the Poor

St Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Rome who served under Pope St Sixtus II. He was responsible for the Church’s material goods and care of the poor during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian in AD 258. Christian tradition remembers that, when ordered to surrender the Church’s treasures, Lawrence presented the poor and suffering as its true treasure.

He was martyred in Rome and buried on the Via Tiburtina in the cemetery traditionally associated with the Christian widow Cyriaca. His tomb quickly became an important place of prayer and pilgrimage.

St Lawrence and St Stephen: The Holy Deacons

Beneath the basilica’s papal altar are the relics of St Lawrence and St Stephen. Stephen, named in the Acts of the Apostles as one of the first seven deacons, was the first Christian martyr. His relics were brought from Constantinople and placed beside those of Lawrence during the rebuilding undertaken by Pope Pelagius II in the sixth century.

Your guide will explain the spiritual connection between these two deacons: one the protomartyr of the Church in Jerusalem, the other one of the most beloved martyrs of the Church in Rome. During St Lawrence Pilgrim Church Tour, time is allowed for prayer and veneration at their shared shrine.

An Ancient Basilica Formed from Two Churches

The present building preserves the history of two churches joined together across the centuries. A shrine developed above the burial place of St Lawrence in the Constantinian period. Pope Pelagius II constructed a basilica over the martyr’s tomb in the sixth century, while Pope Honorius III built a second church in front of it in the thirteenth century. The two structures were united to form the unusual basilica seen today.

Inside, discover sixth-century mosaics, medieval Cosmatesque work, ancient columns, ambos and the papal altar. The portico contains sarcophagi and reconstructed frescoes narrating the lives of St Lawrence and St Stephen.

The Catacomb of Cyriaca

Beneath and beside the basilica lies the ancient Catacomb of Cyriaca, the burial complex in which St Lawrence was laid to rest. Public access to the catacomb itself is restricted, but your guide will explain its place in the history of the shrine, the early Christian understanding of relics and the growth of pilgrimage around the martyrs’ tombs.

Blessed Pius IX and the 1943 Bombing

Descend to the vividly decorated tomb of Blessed Pope Pius IX, whose long pontificate included the definition of the Immaculate Conception and the First Vatican Council. The mosaics surrounding his resting place provide a striking contrast with the ancient fabric of the basilica.

St Lawrence Outside the Walls was devastated during the Allied bombing of Rome on 19 July 1943. Your guide will show how the medieval church was reconstructed and explain why the scars of the bombing remain an important part of the basilica’s modern history.

One of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome

St Lawrence Outside the Walls is one of the traditional Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome on the route popularised by St Philip Neri in the sixteenth century. Its martyrs, apostolic tradition and location beyond Rome’s ancient walls make it an essential stop for Catholic pilgrims.

Read more in our article, The 7 Pilgrim Churches of Rome Pilgrimage Tradition: A Journey of Faith with St Philip Neri.

• Venerate the relics of St Lawrence and St Stephen
• Visit the tomb of Blessed Pius IX
• Discover sixth-century mosaics and medieval Cosmatesque work
• Learn about the Catacomb of Cyriaca and early Christian burial
• Understand the destruction and reconstruction of the basilica in 1943
• Explore one of Rome’s traditional Seven Pilgrim Churches

Why make this a Catholic pilgrimage?

The St Lawrence Pilgrim Church Tour gives pilgrims time to honour two deacons whose martyrdom shows how service, charity and fidelity belong together in Christian life. The shrine is therefore more than an archaeological monument: it remains a church of prayer, sacramental worship and communion with the saints.

Continue Your Seven Churches Pilgrimage

See all our Seven Pilgrim Churches tours and packages, or complete the historic route with the 7 Pilgrim Churches – 4-Day Rome Pilgrimage.

Other individual pilgrimage visits include the St Sebastian Basilica & Catacombs Tour and the Holy Cross Pilgrim Church Tour. For a journey focused on relics of Christ’s Passion, see the Via Crucis – Relics of Christ Tour.

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