THE SAN LORENZO PILGRIMAGE OF ANCIENT ROME, APRIL 25 AND AUGUST 10, 11 and 12, 2024 !

APRIL 25 IS NATIONAL LIBERATION DAY IN ITALY AND A NATIONAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY.  IT IS THE OCCASION WHEN AMASENO AND PARISHES ACROSS ITALY COME TO ROME AND CELEBRATE SAN LORENZO HIGH MASS IN THE MORNING AT HIS FLAGSHIP CHURCH, SAN LORENZO AL VERANO.  APRIL 25 is a MORNING AND AFTERNOON PILGRIMAGE WITH BREAKFAST, OUTSIDE PICNIC LUNCH WITH THE LOCALS AND LATE AFTERNOON APERITIVO.  THE AFTERNOON WILL BE SPENT VISITING THE SITE OF HIS MARTYRDOM AT SAN LORENZO IN PANISPERNA AND THE SITE OF HIS IMPRISONMENT AT SAN LORENZO IN FONTE.  

AUGUST 10 is the DAY OF SAN LORENZO’s MARTYRDOM, it IS CELEBRATED WITH HIGH MASS IN THE MORNING AT SAN LORENZO AL VERANO.  The AFTERNOON IS ABOUT VISITS TO SAN LORENZO IN PANISPERNA AND SAN LORENZO IN FONTE.  Over THREE DAYS WE WILL VISIT ALL EIGHT OF THE EXTANT CHURCHES IN ROME DEDICATED TO SAN LORENZO and ONE OTHER CONNECTED TO SAN LORENZO BUT DEDICATED TO MARY.  THESE ARE LISTED BELOW.  

ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 12 is the FAMOUS LA NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO, the NIGHT OF WISHES, the NIGHT OF SHOOTING STARS, especially GOING TOWARD MIDNIGHT AND THE SECOND HALF OF THE NIGHT IN THE VERY EARLY MORNING HOURS OF AUGUST 13.  WE WILL BE AT A GOOD ROOFTOP RESTAURANT AND BAR FOR THIS EVENT.  THIS IS A THREE DAY PILGRIMAGE THAT BEGINS WITH APERITIVO, DINNER AND LODGING ON AUGUST 9, and ENDS THE MORNING OF AUGUST 13 AT CHECKOUT.

OVER THE CENTURIES SAN LORENZO HAD OVER 30 CHURCHES DEDICATED TO HIM IN ROME.  AT LEAST EIGHT NOW REMAIN EXTANT.  He is ROME’s THIRD MOST BELOVED SAINT and MOST FAMOUS AFTER PETER AND PAUL.  

SAN LORENZO WAS THE KEEPER OF CHURCH FINANCES FOR POPE SIXTUS II, HE WAS ONE OF SEVEN EARLY DEACONS OF ANCIENT ROME.  HIS LIFE CHANGED IN 258 AD WHEN EMPEROR VALERIAN FOUND THEM ALL SAYING MASS AT THE CATACOMBS OF SAN CALLISTO OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF ROME AND SLAUGHTERED THEM ALL RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT EXCEPT FOR SAN LORENZO WHOM HE KEPT ALIVE FOR THREE DAYS MORE TO GIVE HIM TIME TO HAND OVER THE RICHES OF THE CHURCH TO THE EMPEROR.

DURING THOSE THREE DAYS, SAN LORENZO DISTRIBUTED THE RICHES OF THE CHURCH TO THE POOR AND ON THE THIRD DAY BROUGHT THE POOR TO EMPEROR VALERIAN AND PRESENTED THEM THE PEOPLE AS THE RICHES OF THE CHURCH.  EMPEROR VALERIAN WAS NOT PLEASED.

EIGHT CHURCHES DEDICATED TO SAN LORENZO WILL COMPRISE THE CONTENT OF THIS PILGRIMAGE, by FAR THE MOST FAMOUS AND POPULAR FOR ITS HEART AND SENSITIVITY.  ONE OTHER CHURCH CONNECTED TO SAN LORENZO CARRIES A DIFFERENT NAME.

On THE FIRST DAY WE WILL HAVE MORNING HIGH MASS AT SAN LORENZO AL VERANO WHICH ALSO HOUSES HIS TOMB AND THE MARBLE SLAB UPON WHICH HE WAS PLACED AFTER HIS MARTYRDOM.  This CHURCH BEGAN IN THE EARLY 4th CENTURY WHEN EMPEROR CONSTANTINE I BUILT AN ORATORY OVER THE BURIAL SITE OF SAN LORENZO.  IN THE EARLY MEDIEVAL CENTURIES, this ANCIENT CHURCH CAME TO COMPRISE TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT CHURCHES BUILT AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND ATTACHED TOGETHER.  YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE, they DON’t EXACTLY MESH.  MORE RECENTLY WE CAN SEE REMINDERS OF THE DAMAGE INFLICTED FROM ALLIED BOMBING OF SAN LORENZO NEIGHBORHOOD IN 1943.  1500 PEOPLE DIED IN THAT BOMBING AND THE CHURCH WAS IN SHAMBLES.

But FIRST, THE GRIDIRON IS THE SYMBOL OF SAN LORENZO AND HERE IS HIS STATUE ON THE CANADIAN SIDE OF THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY!

NOW FOR PHOTOS OF SAN LORENZO AL VERANO.

The AFTERNOON ON THE FIRST DAY WILL BE SPENT VISITING SAN LORENZO IN PANISPERNA WHERE HE WAS MARTYRED.  PANISPERNA IN LATIN REFERS TO BREAD AND HAM HANDED OUT TO THE POOR BY CONVENT NUNS NEXT DOOR IN REMEMBRANCE OF ALMS HANDED OUT BY SAN LORENZO.

AND SAN LORENZO IN FONTE WHERE HE WAS IMPRISONED AND WHERE YOU WILL SEE DOORS INSCRIBING HIS UNDERGROUND PRISON CELL AND HIS COMMENT TO EMPEROR VALERIAN, and the UNDERGROUND SPRING THAT SPRANG FORTH IN HIS UNDERGROUND CELL WHEN HE PRAYED FOR WATER TO BAPTIZE A FELLOW BLIND PRISONER.  THE BAPTISM HEALED AND CONVERTED THE BLIND PRISONER AND THEN CONVERTED HIPPOLYTA THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE UNDER THIS CHURCH.  IN FACT THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THIS CHURCH IS SANTI LAURENTIO E IPPOLYTO MARTYRS.

I HAVE ALREADY WALKED TWICE THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND TUNNEL TO SEE THE BAPTISM FOUNTAIN IN THE UNDERGROUND CELL !  I AM VERY CERTAIN THAT I AM THE ONLY LEADER WHO HAS MADE MY OWN PERSONAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE UNDERGROUND CELL THAT HELD SAN LORENZO AND BAPTISM FOUNTAIN THAT HE PRAYED FOR, AND I MADE THE PILGRIMAGE TWICE.

The SECOND DAY WILL BE SPENT visiting SAN LORENZO IN LUCINA WHERE HIS GRILL IS HOUSED,

SAN LORENZO IN DAMASO WHERE HE PERFORMED HIS DUTIES AS DEACON, the CHURCH LINES CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE IN ROME.  DAMASO REFERS TO POPE DAMASUS I, a 4th CENTURY POPE WHOSE PATERNAL HOME IS UNDER THIS BASILICA, AND WHO HAD EXPERIENCE AS A DEACON AT SAN LORENZO AL VERANO.  

SANTA MARIA IN DOMNICA ALLA NAVICELLA WHERE HE DISTRIBUTED ALMS TO THE POOR.  A RICH WOMAN CYRIACA LIVED NEAR DOMNICA AND HER HOUSE WAS A MEETING PLACE FOR CHRISTIANS AND SAN LORENZO.   ACTUALLY THIS CHURCH WAS BUILT OVER HER HOUSE.  WHEN SAN LORENZO DIED CYRIACA BURIED HIM IN HER FAMILY CEMETERY CATACOMBS AT AL VERANO.  SAN LORENZO AL VERANO IS BUILT OVER THE CYRIACA CEMETERY CATACOMBS.  THIS DOOR IS INSIDE THE CHURCH.  CYRIACA WAS WHIPPED TO DEATH FOR HER FAITH.

AND SAN LORENZO IN PISCIBUS, a 6th CENTURY CHURCH IMPORTANT AS A SYMBOL OF ENDURING DEVOTION TO SAN LORENZO, WITH ITS PROXIMITY TO ST. PETER’s BASILICA.

MORNING OF THE THIRD DAY WILL BE SPENT TOURING THE ROMAN FORUM AND SAN LORENZO IN MIRANDA WHERE HE WAS SENTENCED AND CONDEMNED.  THIS WILL BE A SPECIAL TOUR WITH A LICENSED GUIDE OF ROME. 

 AFTER LUNCH WE WILL CLIMB SCALA SANCTA AND VISIT THE ANCIENT CHAPEL OF SAN LORENZO OF THE FAMOUS SANCTA SANCTORUM AT THE TOP OF SCALA SANCTA, the STAIRS CHRIST WALKED ON DURING HIS ORDEAL WITH PONTIUS PILATE, BROUGHT TO ROME IN THE EARLY 4th CENTURY BY HELENA, MOTHER OF CONSTANTINE I. 

As always with All my multi-day Pilgrimages YOU CAN JOIN AND LEAVE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF DAYS.  This Pilgrimage costs 500 Euro per person per day.

Text me at +39 338 7447764 on WhatsApp, or email me at cuteycat9@gmail.com for Account Details.

Sandra Panici aka the Roman Pilgrim in Person in Rome